New Challenges Volume 7: Bonds and Connections
by Kaiphantom
Summary: Ranma and Akane have been through good and bad, resisting all attempts at seperation. As they take the next step in their relationship, other forces conspire against their friends. But what does all this have to do with past events?
1. Chapter 1

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
DISCLAIMER: These characters ain't mine. You got that!?!?!?!?  
  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Bonds.  
  
That which holds two or more things together. It can be physical, such  
as tape holding a piece of paper to a wall. Or it can be non-physical,  
such as a vocal agreement made between two parties.  
  
The less likely you want something to be broken, the stronger the bond  
you attempt to forge.  
  
No stronger bond can be found then between two people who love each  
other beyond life itself. Usually this love has been tested by much  
adversity, and yet still stands against those which would destroy it.  
These two people willingly link their lives together, in order to  
present a stronger front then would otherwise be possible, individually.  
  
Traditionally, this is called marriage, an understanding between two  
people who know all the faults of the other, yet still have the will to  
face a life together. Knowing their life may not be easy, but also  
knowing they cannot live without the other.  
  
Only truly special couples can attain this unique bonding of souls.  
  
Now, as Ranma and Akane face that milestone of their lives, they can't  
help but hope the feelings they have for each other will be strong  
enough. Because no matter what stands against it, this strongest of  
bonds cannot be broken.  
  
However, there are quite a few others who have formed, or are starting  
to form, special bonds of their own...  
  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
  
It was a day long in coming.  
  
It was a day of happiness for some and a day of sadness for  
others, depending on who you asked.  
  
It was the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, at  
least that's what the members of the Tendo Dojo hoped. After the last  
attempted wedding, they held at least some doubt that another would  
succeed, what with all the people that were against it.  
  
In the aftermath of the battle with Drakon, it was a welcome  
distraction. Ranma and Akane returned the day after the fight and Soun  
was distressed to see the weakened condition his daughter was in,  
unleashing his demonhead on Ranma.  
  
Amazingly, Ranma didn't flinch or shy away from the attack, but  
faced it down with an calm demeanor that amazed all present. It was  
quite evident to all present something had changed within him.  
  
Ranma and Akane declared that they felt enough time had passed.  
They had known each other for over two years, and had gotten to know  
each other extremely well in that time. Based upon how their life had  
gone so far, they had decided that waiting wasn't much of an option.  
  
Of course, Genma and Soun, masters of the martial arts shotgun  
wedding, wanted to hold it right then and there. Nodoka, however, sided  
with the young couple in saying it would be held in a week, in order to  
allow Akane some time to recover and to send out some invitations.  
  
Ukyo returned shortly thereafter as well. She wouldn't say how  
her reunion with her father went, only that she felt freer than she had  
in a long time. In fact, she felt like an entirely new person.  
  
Konatsu, Yuri, and Selah were the next ones to comeback, a  
couple of days later. Apparently Kenji had gone missing and they were  
searching for clues to his whereabouts. When they found no sign of him  
in Nerima, they were tempted to leave again, but were persuaded to stay  
for the wedding.  
  
The worst case of the whole ordeal was poor Hikaru and Ariko.  
After the final attack, the sorceress-in-training collapsed unconscious  
and hadn't awoken since. She was currently in a coma at the hospital,  
where Hikaru kept almost a constant vigil with a worrisome face.  
  
Tofu examined her, but couldn't find much to help her. All he  
said was that she had channeled so much magical energy, it nearly burned  
her out. She was lucky to be alive at all. There was no telling when, if  
ever, she would recover. Tofu also discreetly checked Hikaru, and was  
quite surprised to notice a change in him as well. But because of the  
swirling and turbulent nature of his aura, Tofu was unable to determine  
whether it was good or bad, or maybe a bit of both.  
  
Of Shampoo and Mousse, or any of the Amazons, there was still  
no word.  
  
Tatewaki and Kodachi had retreated to their mansion, and had  
not been seen since, not even in school.  
  
A bright spot on the whole affair, was that Akari phoned the  
dojo and told them the good news that she had found Ryoga and everything  
was alright. Naturally, she was enthusiastic that Akane was going to be  
married, and promised both her and Ryoga would attend.  
  
And now, one full week later in the Tendo Dojo, the atmosphere  
was all hustle and bustle.  
  
"Kasumi, do you have the food prepared yet?" Nabiki called from  
the dining room.  
  
"Almost!" came the reply from the kitchen where Kasumi and  
Nodoka were cooking as if they're lives depended on it.  
  
The middle Tendo checked an item off on her clipboard. "How's  
the Dojo coming?"  
  
Her father rushed by the open verandah, carrying a bunch of  
folding chairs. "It should be ready in an hour!" Then he was gone again.  
  
Check. "Priest?"  
  
{He'll be here in an hour and a half!} read the fast moving sign  
as the panda chased after Soun, carrying banners and other decorations.  
  
Check. "Guests and invitations?"  
  
Tofu whisked through the room and dumped a stack of small cards  
on the table. "This is everybody that will be here!" He disappeared  
again.  
  
Check. "Bride?"  
  
*Crash!* "I'm FINE!!!" came her little sister's voice from  
upstairs. *Wham!* *Bang!*  
  
"But the doctor said you needed to rest, Akane-chan!" came poor  
Natsume's voice. She was the one tasked with keeping the bride occupied,  
so the wedding could proceed and Nabiki almost felt sorry for her.  
  
After Ranma brought Akane home, he explained some of what  
happened to her. She was weak and Tofu's report declared she wouldn't be  
back up to full strength for a quite awhile. Still, Nabiki wouldn't know  
it by listening to her.  
  
"Why don't we go through the music for the wedding again?"  
Natsume suggested diplomatically.  
  
"WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IT 5 TIMES ALREADY!" *WHAM!* "I WANT TO  
COOK!"  
  
"KURUMI, WHERE ARE YOU!?" came the pained, heartfelt plea.  
  
The middle Tendo knocked on the table. "Your sister's looking  
for you."  
  
A face framed by medium-length brown hair poked out from  
underneath it. "I don't wanna go up there!" Kurumi wailed. "Akane-  
oneechan's scary!" *Zip!* She disappeared under the table again.  
  
Nabiki sighed and rubbed her temples. Akane was incredibly  
nervous and apprehensive about the upcoming nuptials, and that meant  
what energy she had was being funneled into familiar territory where it  
could be dealt with: anger. There was only one person who could handle  
her little sis now.  
  
"Groom?" she called.  
  
No response.  
  
"I said, GROOM!?"  
  
"I haven't seen Ranma all day!" Nodoka called from the kitchen.  
*crash!* "Oops, oh dear."  
  
[Where could he have gone?] Nabiki wondered. [Well, there's only  
option left.] "Doc! Are you still here?"  
  
"Right here, Nabiki-chan!" he said cheerily as he appeared right  
behind the girl.  
  
She nearly jumped out of her skin. [How does he do that!?] "Uh,  
could you calm Akane down some?"  
  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT BAKA HAS DISAPPEARED!?" came the yell  
from upstairs.  
  
Nabiki sweatdropped.  
  
"I'm on it, Nabs!" Tofu vanished.  
  
Check. "Well, that's everything, but where could Ranma be?"  
  
Nabiki's eyes bugged. [Nabs!?]  
  
  
  
  
"You know, Ranchan, if Akane-chan finds out you were here on  
your wedding day..." Ukyo sighed as her ex-fiance cowered in her closet.  
  
"I can't go back to the dojo!" came the whine from behind the  
closet door. "Akane's on the warpath 'cause they won't let her cook, and  
I'm afraid Pops or Tendo-san's gonna knock me out again or somethin'!  
They tried to fill me full of sake last night!"  
  
The chef sighed again as she polished the grill for the  
umpteenth time. Once upon a time, she would have gladly hid Ranma from  
any wedding that wasn't her own to him. But she knew better than to try  
and come between Ranma and Akane now, especially knowing about how some  
people had, like Shampoo, Kodachi, and Saffron. The first two were  
beaten to a pulp, while the third was ripped apart.  
  
Ukyo shivered, glad she never got to that point, but knowing  
she could have easily ended up there. "Come on, Ranchan. Surely her  
cooking's gotten better with both Kasumi and your mother helping her?"  
  
"Only when she's calm and takes her time," he corrected from the  
closet. "Her cooking can still kill when she's upset."  
  
"Konatsu, Selah, and I are just about ready," Yuri called from  
upstairs. "We can leave within the next hour or so."  
  
"Okay, Yuri-chan!" Ukyo answered. She hadn't gotten all the  
details about Kenji's disappearance from them yet, but had the distinct  
impression they were keeping something about the practical joker from  
her. Well, she would find out. She had come to care about the ninja boy  
(not that she'd admit it), and she wasn't about to sit around if he was  
in trouble.  
  
She turned her attention back to the closet. "You hear that? In  
an hour I'm draggin' your sorry butt over to the dojo! If you don't  
marry Akane-chan today, you're going to make me very angry. I didn't  
give you up to her just so you could chicken out on your wedding day!"  
  
A whimper from the closet was her only response.  
  
  
  
  
*BUUUZZZZZ!*  
  
Nabiki got up to answer to the doorbell and smiled when she  
found out who was on the other side. "Akari-kun! Ryoga-kun! It's good to  
see you kids again!"  
  
Akari smiled brightly in her pink floral dress while she clung  
to Ryoga's arm, almost as if she was afraid she would lose him if she  
let him go. "I hope we made it in time!" she said while presenting a  
gift basket of fruits.  
  
"Just made it," Nabiki replied, accepting the basket. They'd  
decided on small gifts this time, instead of money, seeing as how that  
didn't work that well last time. "In fact, if you'd like, you can go up  
and help Akane out. After all, you did volunteer to be a bridesmaid."  
  
"Okay!" Akari beamed, then turned to give Ryoga a peck on the  
cheek. "Don't wander off, Ryo-chan." She fairly skipped up the steps.  
  
Nabiki was impressed that the lost boy didn't do more than  
tremble a little at the contact. "I'll make sure the best man sticks  
around." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bathroom. "Come  
on, lost boy. There's a tux in the changing room with your name on it."  
  
"B-but, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"  
  
Nabiki eyed him up and down, pointing out his standard, dirty,  
ragged, yellow shirt and faded black pants with her gaze. "I'll not  
dignify that question with an answer." She shoved him into the changing  
room. "Now get changed or I'll come in there and dress you myself!"  
  
She smirked as she heard him hit the ground. He was pretty  
good-looking and Nabiki half-hoped she could make good on her threat,  
even though she knew he belonged to Akari.  
  
She sighed and turned to go Ranma-hunting. She had a pretty  
good idea where to look and wanted to get there and drag him back before  
the guests started arriving.  
  
"Your sister's taken care of!"  
  
Nabiki nearly duplicated the patented Saotome-cling-to-the-  
ceiling maneuver at Tofu's surprised appearance "Don't DO THAT to me!"  
  
"Sorry." The doctor actually looked a bit sheepish.  
  
Then Nabiki noticed the quiet. "What'd you do to her?"  
  
He shrugged. "Pressure points. She should be out for an hour or  
so. Anything else I can do?"  
  
Nabiki nodded, grabbing the front of his brown gi. "Come on, I  
have just the chore for you."  
  
It occurred to her that, by herself, she may not be able to  
drag the obviously cold-footed Saotome back. She needed someone with  
heavier weaponry.  
  
Or more specifically, a katana.  
  
  
  
  
"Nabiki-chan, Saotome-no-obasama, hi!" Ukyo greeted the two  
women as she checked herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white  
floral dress, and it felt strange on her since she hadn't worn something  
like this for a long time. "We were just getting ready to head over  
there."  
  
"Greetings, Kuonji-san," Nodoka offered. She was still a bit  
wary of the chef after Ukyo took part in the destruction of her home and  
her son's previous wedding. She understood the ex-fiancee's feelings,  
she just didn't agree with them.  
  
"Hiya, Ukyo-chan," Nabiki greeted. She had replaced the Saotome  
matriarch in the kitchen with Tofu, who was all too happy to oblige. She  
chuckled at the memory of the doc and her older sister practically  
dancing around the kitchen as they prepared the meals. They had been  
going slow with their own engagement, though it was pretty much set in  
stone they were going to get married soon. They just hadn't set a date  
yet.  
  
Nabiki shook her head and returned to the present.  
  
"So what brings you two by?" Ukyo asked. [As if I didn't know.]  
  
"We are looking for my son," Nodoka told her directly. "I  
understand you were one of his close friends and he frequents this  
restaurant."  
  
[Subtle, isn't she?] Nabiki thought.  
  
"I, uh, haven't seen him in awhile," Ukyo replied. Technically,  
this was true. She barely caught sight of his blurred form before he  
jumped in the closet. Still, she jerked her head sideways at the  
suspect's hiding place.  
  
"Is something wrong with your neck, Kuonji-san?"  
  
In the closet, Ranma grimaced.  
  
Nabiki sighed, then walked over to the closet door. "Surrender,  
Saotome. The jig's up." Silence greeted her pronouncement.  
  
"Nabiki-chan, what are you..." Nodoka was waved to silence by  
the middle Tendo, while Ukyo sighed and collapsed into a chair.  
  
"You know, Akane knows you're gone, and she's quite upset about  
it," Nabiki continued. [At least until the doc put her out.] "In fact,  
if I know my little sis, after the last wedding attempt she's determined  
to get married today. If you're not there, she's liable to grab someone  
else, like Ryoga or Mikado or..."  
  
The closet door exploded outward. "Like hell! The only guy's  
she's marryin' is me!" He glanced around at the three women staring at  
him, and suddenly realized he'd been had. "Oops."  
  
Nabiki grinned. [Too easy.] "Oops is right. I'll leave him to  
you, Obasama."  
  
"Nice going, Nabiki-kun," Yuri said, smiling, from the bottom of  
the stairs. Her dress was nice match for Ukyo's, but in light shade of  
blue. Selah, standing next to her, was wearing an almost exact copy,  
except smaller. "But we should get going, Ukyo-chan."  
  
"Just a minute." *CLANG!* "That was for ruining my closet door!"  
Ukyo peeled her battle spatula off Ranma's head and reholstered it on  
her back while the group left the restaurant. The quartet of girls went  
on ahead, while Ranma walked along slowly with his mother.  
  
"I do hope you were not thinking of being absent from your own  
wedding?" his mother asked at last, a note of disapproval in her voice.  
  
Ranma suddenly found his fingers interesting. "Um... no?"  
  
The Saotome matriarch sighed. "Son, what you're experiencing is  
just pre-wedding nervousness. It happens to all of us."  
  
Ranma looked up. "But, I shouldn't be nervous, right? I mean, I  
love her, so why do I feel like..." He shrugged and his gaze dropped  
down again. "I mean, it just seemed easier last time."  
  
"Most likely since you did not have time to think about it,"  
Nodoka said with a wry smile. "By the time you knew what was happening,  
all of the preparations were done and things were happening."  
  
"I guess." They walked in silence for several minutes before  
Ranma spoke up again, although it came out as barely a whisper. "She  
says she's okay with marryin' a half-man freak who's scared of c-cats,  
but..."  
  
"Akane is... strong-willed," his mother told him. "I do not  
doubt that if she did not want to marry you, we would not be preparing  
this wedding."  
  
Ranma had to agree with that, though he couldn't completely  
dispel the disquiet he had been feeling.  
  
  
  
  
Two hours later, his mind was no longer on that subject. The  
reason for this, was currently dressed in white and walking towards him,  
escorted by her father.  
  
While he couldn't see her face because of the veil, Akane had  
no trouble seeing his, and she smiled demurely. His look was like a deer  
caught in the headlights, and his gaze never left her. It stirred up the  
same warm feelings she had felt when he had burst into her room right  
before the failed wedding.  
  
Seated in the dojo around them, were their families and some of  
their schoolmates, but neither groom nor bride noticed them.  
  
Akane soon took her place beside her husband-to-be and the  
priest, an elderly gentleman in clergy robes, gestured to the two kids  
to stop looking at each other and turn to him. All were silent, as they  
waited for him to speak.  
  
"Mawwige... Mawwige, is what bwings us here, togwetha!"  
  
The entire assembly face-faulted, while the priest cleared his  
throat. "Sorry, wrong cue card." He shuffled his notes and began again,  
though the nervousness of the bride and groom had been greatly reduced.  
  
"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Saotome  
Ranma and Tendo Akane..."  
  
  
  
  
The ceremony wasn't long. In fact, it was designed that way by  
the parents, so as to get the two married as soon as possible before  
something untowed happened. Given what happened last time, it seemed  
like a wise precaution. As it wound down, both Soun and Genma began to  
release the breath they'd been holding since the wedding began.  
  
It turned out to be a premature maneuver.  
  
"And if anyone knows a reason why these two should not be wed,  
speak now or forever hold your peace."  
  
Ranma and Akane turned to the gathered audience, silently  
hoping that no one would object. Their gaze eventually fell on Ukyo, but  
all she did was offer a wan smile, tears leaking from her eyes. It was a  
look that said, "I may not be totally comfortable with this, but I've  
done enough interfering."  
  
Deep inside, she had known this day was coming. It was just as  
painful as she knew it was going to be, but she had to see it so that  
she knew it was real.  
  
When no one seemed to object, they turned back to the priest,  
who was about to resume, though he didn't get the chance.  
  
The dojo doors burst open and a female voice cried out a single  
word. "Hold!"  
  
The eyes of the entire room focused on the figure standing in  
the doorway, and a collective gasp was released. Kodachi Kuno strode  
into the room, stopping several paces from the bride and groom. To the  
relief of Akane, she was clad in not a black wedding dress, but a blue  
and black formal kimono instead. She was, however, holding a gymnastics  
ribbon in her hand.  
  
"I do not wish for this to proceed," she declared with a air of  
haughtiness. "Ranma-sama shall not be forced into marriage today."  
  
  
  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
You just knew she was going to show up, didn't you? 


	2. Chapter 2

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
  
The audience held their breath, and those nearest the center  
aisle edged their seats farther away from the impending violence that  
they were positive would soon ensue. Ryoga braced himself for action,  
while Ukyo's hand crept back to the handle of her spatula.  
  
Ranma broke out of his stunned state. "Don't do this, Kodachi,"  
he warned her carefully, flashes of the last wedding attempt shooting  
through his mind.  
  
Kodachi's gaze turned to him, a strange emotion flickering in  
her eyes. "I know you cannot want this!" she accused. "Why? Because you  
being forced by petty promises!"  
  
Ranma's face showed brief flicker of disbelief, then tightened  
and became firm as a strange sense of confidence filled him. "No. I'm  
doin' it because... I love Akane."  
  
Kodachi's eyes reflected some of the great sadness she held  
within, but she kept herself composed. She turned to the bride, holding  
the ribbon up and running it through her fingers. "Why are you doing  
this? You cannot possibly love him, you always denied it before!"  
  
"I was... scared and confused before," Akane admitted softly. "I  
barely knew my own feelings." Her head came up, fierce determination  
written across her face. "But I know what I feel now. I know I love  
him."  
  
"You would fight for him?"  
  
Ranma and Kodachi tensed as Akane took a step forward, and the  
Kuno girl was struck by the fire burning in her eyes. "I would die for  
him." Kodachi's eyes widened a bit, as the statement was delivered with  
the supreme confidence that Akane HAD died for Ranma, or came very close  
at any rate.  
  
The nervous tension in the room shot up ten-fold, as it seemed  
Kodachi was about to attack anyway. Inside, she was fighting with  
indecision. Would she be willing to die for Ranma? She didn't know, but  
she figured it might be a non-issue anyway. What were the chances her  
death would save Ranma?  
  
She discarded such thoughts for now and turned back to Ranma.  
"Ranma-sama, the affection she might be able to offer, pales in  
comparison to my boundless love. Please reconsider this course of  
action! Give me a chance before you commit your life to this!"  
  
Kodachi's words and actions had always been driven by the  
intense need for someone to love her. Her mother left her, then her  
father left her, and her brother was hardly very supportive of her.  
Every other male had already heard of her reputation, so they feared to  
approach her. When Ranma showed her kindness that first night she met  
him, she thought she had found the perfect love she sought, and latched  
onto him hard.  
  
But she was losing him now.  
  
Ranma reluctantly shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Please don't  
try ta stop us, `cause ya can't change my mind."  
  
The glistening of liquid could be seen forming in Kodachi's  
eyes as she glanced back and forth from Ranma to Akane. She had hoped  
that it was just honor that was forcing them together; that, she could  
deal with. She had known Ranma didn't love her, and she could deal with  
that as well. It would just mean she had a chance and could work on him.  
  
But to hear Ranma acknowledge love for Akane, when in the past  
he had always denied his feelings... The love in his eyes shone only for  
Akane. For Kodachi, they merely showed traces of fear and maybe a little  
pity. Akane's eyes spoke volumes of the depths she had gone through, and  
would go through, for Ranma. Kodachi suddenly realized that whatever  
chance she might've had, was long gone.  
  
"Come sister, `tis not our place," Tatewaki called softly from  
the doorway. "Let us retire once more to our abode."  
  
The distraught girl took one last look at the bride and groom.  
She was on the verge of breakdown, and didn't want anybody to see her  
cry. Otherwise, she might have attacked in a last ditch effort to win  
Ranma. However, that thought was squashed by the knowledge that Ranma  
would no longer be a prize that could be won. He had made a choice and  
even she could see that he would stick to it.  
  
"Yes," the Kuno girl replied slowly. "I see that now. I do not  
have the right to be here. I shall not interfere." Kodachi Kuno turned  
and strode softly from the dojo. Once she was outside, she leapt for the  
rooftops and fled home as fast as possible.  
  
"Please forgive my sister and I," The elder Kuno boy offered,  
bowing low. "She is still... recovering. She received word of thy...  
wedding," the word was extremely difficult for him to say, "and felt  
driven to see with her own eyes."  
  
"Kuno-sempai, will she be alright?" Akane asked with concern.  
  
"In time," he replied, his face carefully guarding his emotion.  
"Now, fair Tendo Akane, if you will pardon us, I must see Kodachi safely  
home."  
  
And then he was gone, before anyone else could say or do  
anything. The breath the assembled Tendos, Saotomes, and assorted guests  
had been holding was released in a large sigh of relief.  
  
Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, their eyes echoing the  
same thoughts. `That was close!'  
  
Sensing no more action or protests would be forthcoming, the  
priest continued. "Then because of your love for each other, I now  
pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
With trembling hands, Ranma reached for Akane's veil, pulling  
it up over her head. His breath caught in his throat as her pretty face  
was revealed. He had been extremely nervous about kissing Akane in  
public, especially in front of their families. But eyes her eyes came  
into view, the outside world faded away and he tilted his head down.  
  
Akane was just as nervous as Ranma, if not more so. Her heart  
had been threatening to burst out of her chest since the ceremony began,  
but she felt herself oddly becoming calm as Ranma's gaze found her own.  
There was plenty of love in his deep blue eyes, and it had been one that  
she had wanted to see from him for so long. She tilted her head up.  
  
Their lips met and, for a few moments, nothing else in the  
universe existed.  
  
Then it was over, and the priest presented them to the  
audience. "It is my pleasure to present, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome."  
  
The cheer went up from the assembled family and guests.  
  
  
  
  
The reception was also short, though not by design. There were  
a few gifts, but only from the family. Since the money from the first  
wedding wasn't returned, the guests didn't bring any this time around.  
In fact, they were specifically asked not to. It was the only way Soun  
could get any of them to attend.  
  
Natsume stood off to the side of the dojo, trying to avoid any  
attention. The dress she was wearing (borrowed from Nabiki, at  
discounted price) was like nothing she had worn before, and she was  
feeling decidedly uncomfortable in it. Oh, she had worn a skirt before,  
but it simple, not as fancy as the frilly thing she had on. Too many  
ribbons and bows in her opinion, and the make-up was doubly  
uncomfortable.  
  
She sighed, wishing she was anywhere other than here. It wasn't  
that she wasn't excited for Ranma and Akane; indeed, she was very happy  
that the two were married. They had been nicer to her than she probably  
deserved, given how she had tried to take the dojo away from them last  
time.  
  
But looking at the pair as they danced, made Natsume think  
momentarily of Ryu Kumon. She shook head to clear the thought of him  
out. He was merely a challenger to the dojo, and Natsume had done her  
job in defending it, nothing more. She couldn't afford to let a boy  
distract her from her training. Maybe she should take Kurumi on a short  
training trip to help clear their minds, Natsume decided.  
  
The sound of her sister's whining drew Natsume's attention to  
the buffet table. Apparently, it looked like Kurumi was trying to polish  
off all the food by herself, but was being deflected from her goal by  
the eldest Tendo daughter. It seemed that Kasumi had gracefully turned  
Kurumi away and guided her to talk with a boy instead, one of Ranma's  
school friends.  
  
Natsume merely shook her head, then sipped her punch.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma felt decidedly uncomfortable during the whole reception,  
seeing that social gatherings weren't exactly his most favorite thing in  
the first place. Coupled with the fact that he was part of the main  
attraction and his new relationship with Akane was out in the open,  
well, the phrase `fish out of water' didn't do justice to his  
predicament.  
  
Of course it didn't help that Hiroshi and Daisuke were teasing  
him throughout the whole affair.  
  
"So, Saotome, would you be a pal and tape the honeymoon for me?"  
Daisuke asked.  
  
"Dai, do you want to live?" Hiroshi asked, seeing the cup of  
punch in Ranma's hand disintegrate in a blue flash.  
  
The other boy shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying..."  
  
"I just want to hear all the details afterward," Hiroshi  
commented absently..  
  
"If you two don't shut up now," Ranma told them through clenched  
teeth, "the next time you wake up you'll be eatin' through straws!"  
  
"I think we've overstayed our welcome, Dai."  
  
"I believe you're right," his companion agreed. "But why don't  
you give him our gift before we go?'  
  
Ranma cocked his eye. "Gift? What gift?" Secretly, he was  
dreading what his `friends' might give him.  
  
Daisuke nodded and slipped something thin and papery into  
Ranma's tuxedo coat. "From us, for tonight. If you find yourself  
wondering what to do."  
  
Ranma frowned at the cryptic comment while the two boys  
wandered off. Curious, he opened his jacket and pulled out the  
magazine...  
  
...and put the hentai doujinshi right back, blushing furiously.  
[Stupid Idiots.]  
  
Then Soun was announcing the next dance as being for the bride  
and groom, and Ranma was forced to ignore the magazine in his shirt as  
all attention turned to Akane and him.  
  
Ranma's breath caught in his throat once more, as he spied his  
bride turn to face him from across the room, still resplendent in her  
wedding gown. She had been chatting with her friends, but now gazing  
shyly at him, her face tinged pink.  
  
When it became clear that neither one was moving, Sayuri gave  
Akane a slight push, while Tofu did the same for Ranma. Hesitantly, they  
walked to the center of the dojo. As they grasped each other's hands and  
gazed into each other's eyes, the outside world faded away once more.  
  
And they began to dance.  
  
  
  
  
Ryoga spent the whole ordeal with Akari clamped to his arm. He  
got the impression that it was because she was afraid he'd wander off  
and get lost. True, his direction sense wasn't as bad as it was before,  
and she tended to let him roam around places he was familiar with (like  
the Tendo dojo and the Unryu farm), but it still felt like he was on a  
leash with her guiding him around. He wondered if that's what his  
relationship was going to be like from now on.  
  
How could she put up with a guy like him?  
  
Akari sighed wistfully at his side as she glanced at the bride  
and groom. "Wasn't the wedding so beautiful, Ryo-chan? And Akane's gown  
is so lovely." Her face grew a fond smile as she glanced up at her  
fiance.  
  
Ryoga had to admit that Akane was quite beautiful. For a  
moment, he almost wished it was him in Ranma's place, dancing with Akane  
as a bride and groom. Then he shoved those thoughts out of his head.  
Akane had made her choice, and Ryoga had conceded to that. He might  
still care for her, but it wasn't fair to Akari for him to continually  
pine after another woman, especially a married one. He had recognized  
that his crush on Akane was just that: a crush.  
  
He glanced down at his fiancee and beheld her pretty face  
smiling up at him, prompting him to return a nervous smile of his own.  
Perhaps, he decided, it would be a good idea to spend quite a bit of  
time at the Unryu farm, after he completed his training under his  
sensei. Akari gave him what he needed most: love and acceptance. He  
cared for her very much, but after his experiences with Akane, he wanted  
to make sure it was love.  
  
"So, when do you think we should set our own wedding date for?"  
Akari was asking him.  
  
So caught up in his thoughts and in gazing in her lovely eyes,  
he almost missed what she was saying. "W-wedding?" he squeaked.  
  
Akari's smile dimmed somewhat. "You do want to marry me,  
right?"  
  
Ryoga swallowed nervously, and a part of his mind told the rest  
of him that he had better answer this right. "Uh, it's not that. It's  
just that this is, uh, all kinda new to me."  
  
She smiled in understanding. "It's okay. I will wait until you  
are ready." She gave him a peck on the cheek.  
  
Ryoga smiled in relief, and once again wondered why she put up  
with a guy like him. Whatever her reasons, he was extremely glad she  
did.  
  
  
  
  
The final song ended and the reception came to an end. The  
bride and groom said their good-byes to all the guests, who wished Ranma  
and Akane well in return. Soon, everyone had departed except for family.  
Even the newlywed couple had left on their honeymoon after changing  
clothes for travel, leaving the Tendo household in a state of peace and  
quiet once more.  
  
Wanting to get an early start, Kasumi had started cleaning up  
the dojo. She had just started sweeping up the confetti when a hand on  
the broom stopped her. She looked up in surprise, but smiled warmly when  
she saw who it was.  
  
"Now, now, Kasumi-chan," Tofu said with a wide grin. "There will  
be time enough for this later. You should leave some for the rest of  
us!"  
  
Kasumi sighed and accepted Tofu's hug, then turned around so  
that her back was to him, his arms encircling her waist. She leaned her  
head back to rest on his shoulder as she gazed out the window dojo  
window.  
  
"It seems like I've been waiting for this moment for most of my  
life," Kasumi mused. "My little baby sister is all grown up and married  
at last. I must say, I did have some doubt when she turned into quite  
the tomboy."  
  
Tofu chuckled, remembering all the times little Akane had come  
into his clinic to be treated for bruises and scrapes. "Yes, she was  
quite the lively girl when she was younger, and nowhere near the  
traditional girl she was supposed to be. I suppose it's just as well,  
since Ranma does make a good match for her. I must confess that I was  
worried about those two for awhile, as well. It's good to see them  
together and having some happiness at last."  
  
That thought about Akane brought something to Tofu's mind that  
he had noticed earlier. Being the kind of healer he was, he had noticed  
a distinct change in Akane's aura when he had examined her before. While  
glowing with the familiar colors of love, it also seemed much weaker  
than normal. Somehow it seemed weaker, subdued. Even given the  
explanation of the Kami Heart Crystal, his own research suggested it  
shouldn't have affected her that much.  
  
From what he understood, the crystal merely amplified what was  
already there. It should not have drained Akane this much, leading him  
to believe something else was at work. That was as far as Tofu had  
gotten, as he had pronounced her recovered enough to get married, which  
was what she wanted. He had made a note to check up on her when she  
returned, however.  
  
"So," Kasumi was saying, "Akane will soon be mistress of the  
house. With Nabiki graduating at the end of the month and moving off to  
college in April, and Natsume and Kurumi taking over much of the chores,  
I believe it will be time for me to move out as well."  
  
Tofu's arms tightened and his head became momentarily dizzy, as  
he realized the implications. "Really?"  
  
They had developed an understanding between them. Dating and/or  
the pursual of any relationship would have to wait, since Kasumi felt  
her family needed her. So, an unspoken agreement to wait had come about,  
to push aside any ideas of a relationship until such a time when Kasumi  
felt she was free enough to pursue one.  
  
Which she had just hinted at.  
  
True, they had been dating a little since Kasumi was kidnapped  
by the Mage Clans nearly eight months ago, but that was mainly due to  
the fact that they couldn't hold back their feelings anymore, and it  
seemed that Ranma and Akane were finally settling down into accepting  
the engagement.  
  
"I am nearly twenty-one," Kasumi said, a bit of a sad edge to  
her voice. "And I do think it is nearly time to be married. What do you  
think, Ono Tofu?"  
  
The use of his full name was all the implication Tofu needed.  
He turned her around his arms, then knelt down on one knee in front of  
her, bring out a small box they he had carried for the longest time.  
"Tendo Kasumi, I have watched and admired you for several years. I would  
be honored if you would consider me for your hand." He open the small  
velvet box.  
  
Kasumi gasped at pretty gold band that was displayed within,  
topped by a small sapphire gem. She smiled and nodded, giving the  
gesture for Tofu to remove it from the box and slide it onto her finger.  
  
"I would be honored to become your wife," Kasumi told him,  
bringing Tofu to his feet with a tug on his hand, and then rising up  
slightly to kiss him gently.  
  
As the couple pulled away from each other, the sniffle from the  
dojo entrance got their attention. The sniffle had come from Soun, but  
also present were Genma, Nodoka, and Nabiki as well.  
  
Kasumi blushed, while Tofu turned to address Soun. "That is, if  
your father would agree to the marriage, of course."  
  
Soun dried his eyes, then shook the doctor's hand while patting  
him on the back. "Of course, of course! Welcome to the family!"  
  
Nodoka gave Kasumi a teary-eyed hug. "Oh, Kasumi-chan,  
congratulations!"  
  
"Thank you, Oba-sama," the eldest Tendo daughter replied, still  
blushing.  
  
"Two of my daughters are all grown up," Soun wailed. "Now if  
only-"  
  
"Forget it, Father," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. "I'm not  
getting married. I've got too many plans as it is, and none of them  
revolve around a husband."  
  
"Well, perhaps you just need to find the right young man,"  
Nodoka offered  
  
Nabiki merely rolled her eyes. [I like Ranma's mother, but she  
does seem to think the world revolves around men.]  
  
"Well, let's leave this mess for tomorrow, shall we?" Genma  
suggested. "We've got much celebrating to do tonight!"  
  
For once, everyone agreed with him.  
  
  
  
  
"Hurry up, Akane!"  
  
Akane growled. "I'm coming, Baka!" She adjusted her pack once  
again, wondering for the one-millionth time where he was taking her. All  
he would say was that it was a surprise and she would find out when they  
got there. [It better be good, that's all I've got to say,] she thought.  
  
She realized Ranma was getting ahead of her, so she picked up  
the pace to keep up with her husband. Her pack was lighter then his by a  
large margin, since her strength was still down. Before the Crystal Kami  
Heart, that was her family's legacy, was removed from her body and  
destroyed, her strength had been nearing Ranma's under his intense  
training.  
  
Now she was almost weaker then before Ranma showed up at her  
house. It made her angry while shattering her self-confidence all over  
again, bringing her insecurities back to the surface. Was it just that  
crystal that gave her all that strength? Could she ever be as good as  
she was before? Would Ranma still love her if she was stuck as a weak,  
little girl?  
  
Akane was deathly afraid of that last question. Even though he  
had married her, would he leave her for someone else? She still loved  
him with all her heart, though she also still harbored doubts and fears  
about how good a wife she could be to him. What did she have to offer?  
  
She absently touch her chest where the crystal had emerged, and  
a tear a appeared in her eye. It was her mother's last gift to Akane,  
entrusted for safekeeping, and she had lost it. With it, she could  
easily fight beside Ranma as his partner. Where did that leave her  
without it?  
  
Akane shook her head to clear her dark thoughts. This was no  
time to be brooding. This was supposed to be her honeymoon, and she was  
determined to make sure they both enjoyed it.  
  
As soon as she figured out exactly where Ranma was taking her.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma's mood was more upbeat. Traveling through nature was  
something he was used after ten years on the road and he believed he had  
a good surprise in store for Akane.  
  
Before the wedding, Nabiki had called him in to have a talk...  
  
"Have you given any thought as to where you'll spend your  
honeymoon?" she asked him as soon as he stepped inside, a sly smile on  
her face.  
  
"What?" Ranma blinked. "What's a honeymoon?"  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding' me. A  
honeymoon is where a newlywed couple go to spend time together, alone."  
  
"Like a training trip?" he suggested.  
  
A funny smile broke out on Nabiki's face, and she seemed to be  
fighting back a case of the giggles. "Right... Training trip...  
Exactly." She took a deep breath. "The point is, wouldn't you like to  
get away for a few days? I know Akane would love to go with you  
somewhere."  
  
That sounded reasonable to him. "Yeah, sure! That'd be great!"  
  
"Now I have a few ideas that..."  
  
"In fact, I know the perfect place!" Ranma continued, eager at  
the sound of a few days alone with Akane. "I was up there a year ago,  
and it'd be perfect!" He turned back to the middle Tendo. `Thanks  
Nabiki... oneechan!" He grinned.  
  
The change in address caught her off-guard. "Um, sure. But what  
about-"  
  
"I gotta go plan this out and pack for it!"  
  
And with that, he rushed out of her room, completely missing  
the frustrated face of the middle Tendo.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma casually hopped to top of a nearby boulder and grinned.  
They were headed in the right direction, and should reach it by early  
tomorrow morning. This time, it wasn't as cold, seeing as how it was  
late spring and there was no snow on the ground. He knew there would be  
when they finally reached their destination, but it wouldn't matter  
much.  
  
He turned back to watch his wife coming up the trail behind him  
and his face unconsciously grew a fond smile. He knew she was still a  
bit weak, but she was bound and determined not to show it, doing her  
best to keep up with him. That was something he always admired about  
her. Even though he wanted to keep her out of danger and protect her, he  
always secretly liked her `never-give-up' and `give-it-all-you've-got'  
attitude.  
  
He supposed she wouldn't be Akane if she didn't have that inner  
fire, that determination that made her seek her own path, instead of  
demurely conceding like a traditional girl.  
  
She paused to see him smiling at her, and she blushed faintly.  
Then she scowled at him, before continuing right on past his perch.  
  
"Well, you coming or not?" She called over her shoulder.  
  
Ranma chuckled, then leapt off the boulder after her.  
  
  
  
  
Akane entered the tent, a pleasant smile on her face. Today had  
been one interesting day, especially since Ranma had surprised her with  
something she never would have thought possible of him.  
  
They had finally arrived at their destination, at least that's  
what Ranma had announced. All Akane could see was a small forest of  
sparse trees, lightly dusted with snow. It was melting, because spring  
was arriving and the temperature was raising, but it still was a little  
chilly out.  
  
Ranma spent several moments searching around, before finding  
what he was looking for. He called Akane over and gestured to the trunk  
of the large tree after dusting it off. She gasped when she read the  
carvings, totally not expecting to see what she saw.  
  
She murmured Ranma's name in awe, taken aback by what he had  
shown her. He didn't seem to have a romantic bone in his body, and then  
he goes and shows her the tree where his parents carved their names on  
their honeymoon. He also revealed that he had enough money for a couple  
nights at a hot spring resort nearby, that his parents stayed at on  
their honeymoon.  
  
Akane turned to see that Ranma had a small knife in his hand,  
and with crystalline clarity she knew what he was about to do. Still,  
the emotions flooding her body of seeing him engrave their own names  
next to his parents were very powerful nonetheless, and she couldn't  
resist giving him a big hug and a passionate kiss when he was finished.  
  
The sight of their own names embedded in the thick bark,  
somehow made their marriage and feelings all the more real, along with a  
sense of permanence. That no matter what happened, the carvings would  
stand as a reminder, to them and to the world, that their lives were now  
deeply intertwined.  
  
Back in the tent, Akane had finally finished the preparations  
and her heart was now threatening to pound itself out of her chest. Some  
part of her couldn't believe she was actually going to do this, and  
another part wondered if she was going to chicken out or if Ranma would.  
  
Gathering her courage, she called out to her husband.  
  
  
  
  
"You can come in now."  
  
Ranma had just finished putting out the fire and securing the  
packs for the night when Akane called to him. There was something in her  
voice that he couldn't identify, almost a mixture of apprehension and  
excitement. Nervously, he zipped open the dome tent and slipped inside.  
  
He hadn't really known what to expect, his knowledge of  
honeymoons being very limited, and he was afraid of asking, since it  
seemed it was something that everybody was supposed to know. All he knew  
was that Nabiki had suggested the idea to him.  
  
The sight that greeted him inside, however, was enough to  
freeze all higher-level functions running through his brain.  
  
Akane was kneeling on the opened sleeping bags and gazing shyly  
up at him. Her face was tinged with a nice shade of pink and her hands  
were folded in her lap. What locked Ranma's brain up was the that as far  
as he could determine, the only thing she had on was one of his red  
Mandarin shirts. The overall picture she was portraying, was affecting  
him in ways that he couldn't describe.  
  
Somehow he got the feeling that he was in for an interesting  
night.**  
  
  
  
  
It had happened a couple of days ago, that much he was sure  
about. He knew if she left their little sanctum she would become  
vulnerable. He also knew it was an opportunity the Rogues wouldn't dare  
pass up.  
  
He closed his eyes as he sagged in his chair, suddenly feeling  
the weight of all ninety of his years hit him at once. [It's finally  
done. She had to know what would happen if she left!] A long breath  
escaped his lips as the elderly man leaned back in his comfy chair, the  
only real amenity in the abode he shared with Lady Kuno.  
  
He was the caretaker. There was a name before that, one he was  
born to, but at the age of ten he was apprenticed to the previous  
caretaker and his given name ceased to be spoken. He had long since  
forgotten it as he learned the duties he would be performing from the  
old man who taught him.  
  
Quite simply, his duty was to assist the Lady. All he was told  
at the time was that she was very old, though she still appeared to be  
in her 30s. He was also to dust and clean, keep her sanctuary and  
library in order, as well as read the mountain of knowledge that the  
library contained. Later on, he also became her friend and companion, to  
help ease her loneliness in her isolation.  
  
But that was 80 years ago.  
  
Normally, he would have sought out his own apprentice by now,  
who would take over the post once he was gone. However, there was no  
longer any need, for there was no longer a Lady for a Caretaker to take  
care of.  
  
For a sudden and brief moment, he felt her spirit passing by  
him on her way to the afterlife, and she whispered a few words to him  
before disappearing from the mortal plane. Normal men would have only  
felt a slight breeze, but members of his line had a better sense of  
supernatural, not to mention his long years by his Lady's side helped  
attune his consciousness to hers.  
  
He nodded once as the spirit departed. "I shall do as you ask,  
Lady. I shall fulfill your last request."  
  
He stood up slowly and walked to what appeared to be small  
well, but water wasn't the only thing to be glimpsed inside. Reflected  
in the still pool were the faces of several youths, some more prominent  
then others: A boy with a pigtail, a girl with short hair and fiery  
temperament, a half-cat humanoid, a near-sighted hidden weapons master,  
a muscular boy with canine teeth, and a chef skilled in the culinary  
arts.  
  
The eyes of the caretaker were suddenly filled with incredible  
sorrow. "I shall tell them everything."  
  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Bet you were expecting a fight during the wedding, ne? Most every  
Ranma/Akane wedding I've read has had violence/fighting in it. The idea  
that it could go off rather peacefully is, in my opinion, a rare  
concept.  
  
And I freely admit it, I'm a hopeless romantic. ^_^ There will be more  
conflict later, naturally, but these two chapter were designed for humor  
and WAFF.  
  
**I've written a Lemon sidestory (my first in this series) to this,  
entitled "Physical Bonding." It doesn't add much to the plot, so you can  
skip it. If, however, you want to read it, e-mail me and I'll give you  
the link to the file.  
  
Also, before this Volume is over, much will be explained to both you and  
the Ranma crew, as they learn what part they play in the ever-unfolding  
events. Secrets and truths will be revealed, and it will affect the  
characters in different ways, some you may or may not expect. 


	3. Chapter 3

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
  
Miyo stepped back into her library with a heavy heart. She had  
just returned from the hospital where Ariko lay in a coma. Hikaru had  
begged and pleaded with Miyo, hoping the fortuneteller could see  
something in Ariko's future, but she could not.  
  
For the first time in her life, Miyo was unable to see a future  
for someone and that shook her confidence greatly.  
  
She hung up her coat and placed her bag on the round table  
where she normally told fortunes to those who came to see her. [Now why  
is that out? I thought I put it away.] Her crystal ball was resting in  
it's stand in the middle of the table.  
  
Sighing, she reached out with both hands and attempted to pick  
it up. As soon as her finger touched the smooth, cool surface however,  
the ball flashed purple and the world around her swirled and  
disappeared.  
  
Her senses were now attuned to another place and time  
entirely...  
  
  
  
  
"AKARA!" All of Tenma's insides were screaming for him to jump  
forward and kill the one who held his iinazuke in a death grip.  
  
Tenma, Ryo, and Tateyama were braced at the edge of the  
clearing. Behind them, Konisha and Shan Po lay in wait.  
  
"STAY BACK!" he yelled. "Or I'll snap her neck!" He increased  
the pressure slightly, to show he was serious.  
  
"Tenma..." Akara gasped, fear and terror swimming in her  
vulnerable brown eyes.  
  
"'Tis nothing but a cowardly cur, who would hide behind a frail  
flower!" Kuno spouted.  
  
If the situation wasn't so serious, Tenma would've snickered.  
[Frail is not a word I would use to describe her...] Nevertheless, he  
felt his blood began to boil. "Let. Her. Go."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the ninja replied. "She is Tendo's  
daughter, and as such, a valuable hostage against him."  
  
"Who are you!?" Ryo demanded.  
  
"Let's just say you've met my partner, Kae," the man told them.  
"I am called Kage."  
  
Tenma inwardly seethed. The last he had seen of the ninja  
woman, she had betrayed him, enabling the dark army to capture both he  
and Ryo. Because of that, Tenma no longer had the physical strength he  
had before.  
  
Ryo cracked his knuckles. "Well like Kuno said, you must be a  
coward and weakling to hide behind Akara-san like that! I don't think  
you have the guts to face a real man."  
  
An evil sneer appeared on Kage's face. "Be careful what you  
wish for, boy!" He eyed the three youths arrayed against him. "Then  
again, it isn't often I am able to test my skills against worthy  
opponents. I guess I see no harm in having a fun little exercise first."  
  
His left hand snaked out and squeezed a nerve bundle on Akara's  
neck. She promptly stopped struggling as she lost consciousness.  
  
"Stay back!" the ninja master commanded. "She still lives. Just  
rendered... more agreeable for the time being." He handed her off to one  
of his men.  
  
Tenma could feel his boiling blood elevate and would've  
attacked right then and there, if not stopped by Kage's threat. Also,  
there was something else about the man, some danger he just couldn't put  
his finger on.  
  
"Now, shall we get down to business?" Kage said almost casually.  
  
Kuno snarled and charge, actions duplicated by Ryo a split-  
second later.  
  
Tenma finally realized what it was that was bothering him about  
Kage, as he got a good reading on the ninja's aura. "Guys, wait!" he  
called, unfortunately too late.  
  
The ninja blurred as Tateyama's katana sliced down. The elder  
Kuno shook like a rag doll as Kage landed punch after punch to his body.  
The sword slipped from the samurai's hand as the black-clad man finished  
with a roundhouse that sent the other boy sailing over the treetops.  
  
Ryo, undeterred by how quickly Kuno was taken care of, charged  
in. Kage flipped over the berserked boy, then hit him in the back with  
an open palm strike that violently shoved Ryo into a tree. The bandanna  
boy recovered quickly, and lashed out with a mid-level sweep kick, but  
Kage virtually danced around it.  
  
He blurred in and struck several times with both hands, using  
only the first and middle fingers in knife like thrusts. When he backed  
up, it was obvious to all that Ryo was obvious pain. His body was  
trembling, his face contorted in anguish. Ryo doubled over, arms crossed  
over his chest.  
  
Kage sneered. "Heh, not so tough I guess-"  
  
Ryo screamed in pain and anger, then thrust his hands outward.  
Tenma, recognizing the familiar stance, hit the ground and yelled for  
Shan Po and Konisha to do the same. They did, but just barely in time.  
  
"Shishi Houkodan!"  
  
The beam of yellowish-greenish ki lanced out, nearly catching  
the ninja unprepared. Still, Kage thrust himself to the side, so that  
the blast merely clipped his arm, ripping the fabric off and most likely  
bruising the arm.  
  
The ninja seethed after the blast died down. "You actually  
managed to hurt me! That's quite surprising." He spotted Kuno's  
discarded katana and lazily plucked it from the ground, seeing as how  
Ryo was frozen in his post-blast position, breathing heavily.  
  
The world slowed as Tenma beheld Kage blur forewords, katana  
raised menacingly. "No!" Thinking quickly, the young Saotome plucked a  
small rock from the ground and chucked it at the ninja.  
  
The rock hit the Kage's sword hand, altering where the sword  
was pointing. Instead of driving it though Ryo's heart, it was thrust  
above his shoulder. Ryo reacted instinctively, pushing off from the tree  
and bringing his knee up, using the momentum of his adversary and his  
considerable body mass to put the needed power behind the attack.  
  
Kage 'oofed' and let go of the sword, rolling out of the way of  
Ryo's follow up double-fisted slam. He grabbed and arm and easily tossed  
the bigger boy over to land near Tenma.  
  
"That wasn't very nice," he told the two boys. "Allow me to  
repay the favor by showing you the little gift the Dark Shogun gave me."  
A black aura began to build around the ninja. "Take this!"  
  
He thrust out his palm as the two boys regained their feet, a  
dark wave billowing outward. Because he was in front, Ryo took the brunt  
of the attack, acting more like a shield for Tenma. He screamed in  
torment once more as the wave engulfed him, his shirt shredding.  
  
Tenma felt like his body was on fire as the darkness hit him.  
Even though it was only a partial attack since Ryo's body was shielding  
him somewhat, it was more painful then anything he had ever felt in his  
life. In the back of his mind, he realized how much worse it must be for  
Ryo.  
  
The attack ended and Tenma looked up to Ryo still standing,  
though just barely. His shirt gone, Tenma got a look at Ryo's back, and  
at something else. There was a small mark between the other boy's  
shoulder blades, and Tenma recognized it immediately from the old charts  
Satsu had shown him. Instantly, he knew what was afflicting him, and how  
to counter it.  
  
The moxibustion of weakness.  
  
"Sorry... Akara-san..." Ryo groaned as he fell backwards, though  
Tenma was there to catch him. Ryo cast his gaze upwards into the face of  
the man he considered his rival. "You better... save her, Tenma. Or...  
so help me... I'll kill you."  
  
Saotome nodded solemnly. "You have my word."  
  
He laid Ryo down on the grass and picked up a pebble from the  
ground while standing up. Using his other hand, he tore off the shredded  
remains of his outer cloak and shirt, leaving him in only a pair of  
black pants. He focused his ki into the hand holding the pebble, and  
smiled grimly as it began to heat up.  
  
Despite the situation, both Shan Po and Konisha couldn't help  
but gaze in admiration at Tenma's muscular chest.  
  
"Well, are you ready to try your luck, boy?" Kage taunted. "If  
you're anything like your friends, I suggest you don't bother. It would  
be wasting my time."  
  
"Oh, I think you'll find me a worthy challenge," Tenma returned  
evenly.  
  
Sensing the pebble was hot enough, Tenma reached behind his  
back, knowing exactly what to reach for. He braced himself, then pressed  
the red-hot pebble into his back. There was a sickening sizzling sound,  
and steam wafted up from the small point on Tenma's back. He grimaced,  
but fought against the waves of pain and nausea until he felt his  
strength return.  
  
Dropping the pebble, Tenma grinned at Kage's wide and confused  
eyes. "Now I'm ready. Let's dance."  
  
"As you wish," Kage replied, sliding into his attack stance.  
  
Tenma mirrored it, and for the next minute, neither man moved.  
Finally, Kage grew impatient and charged, closing the distance in the  
span of second. Tenma was ready for him, parrying his rapid-fire  
attacks, but barely. Kage was good, very good. Tenma saw that even  
before Kuno and Ryo attacked, and that's why he tried to warn them.  
Plus, he got a distinct sense of... something unnatural from the man,  
that almost made his skin crawl.  
  
All these factors made this fight different then all his  
previous confrontations..  
  
Tenma continued to mirror Kage's moves, matching block for  
block, punch for punch, and kick for kick. His opponent was easily  
duplicating Tenma's incredible speed. To Konisha, Shan Po, and Ranko,  
the two men were virtually blurs as they danced around the small  
clearing.  
  
Kage tilted his head to the side as Tenma's fist flew by,  
clipping the edges of his short black hair. In return, the ninja slipped  
inside his opponent's guard, hammering his chest with four quick,  
precision strikes.  
  
Tenma reeled under the assault, the top half of his body  
bending backwards. Quickly regaining his wits, he displayed his extreme  
flexibility by continuing to twist his upper half down. Planting his  
hands on the ground behind him, Tenma whipped his feet upwards, catching  
Kage under the chin and sending him sailing away.  
  
The young Saotome completed the maneuver by flipping to his  
feet, while the ninja twisted in mid-air to land a short distance at the  
same time. As soon as he touched down, he sprang foreword once more,  
hoping to catch his adversary off-guard.  
  
It nearly worked. Tenma barely had time to bring his arms up to  
block. He tweaked his wrist, grabbing ahold of Kage's arm and cocked his  
right fist. The ninja tried to break out of the hold, but Tenma's newly  
returned strength held. The ninja braced for the attack, already  
preparing a counter.  
  
The martial artist surprised him however, as he jerked the arm,  
bringing Kage slightly foreword and into the path up his rising knee,  
the clenched fist being merely a feint. The dark ninja doubled over as  
the air was driven from his lungs. Tenma then let go of the arm,  
bringing his fists together, then slamming them down on his enemy's  
backside.  
  
Kage hit the ground, hard, and Tenma placed his foot on his  
opponent's neck, applying just enough pressure to let the other man know  
his neck could be snapped in an instant. He then raised his eyes to the  
ninja underling that held Akara.  
  
By now, she had awakened, but was unable to move as the man  
that held her had a knife positioned under her neck. Her face was  
sweating with sheer terror the likes of which Tenma had never seen her  
display, and she was mumbling softly, incoherently. It literally tore at  
his heart to see how she was suffering.  
  
Tenma spoke the words again. "Let. Her. Go." The authority in  
his voice conveyed volumes about what would happen if the man did not  
comply.  
  
"He won't do it unless I order it," Kage hissed from the ground.  
"Release me, and the girl lives."  
  
Tenma's confidence wavered a little. "Let her go first."  
  
"Release me or she dies!" the other man commanded.  
  
Even with all his skill and speed, Tenma knew he would never be  
able to free Akara before the ninja who held her slit her throat. He  
couldn't count on Akara for any help either, since her fear was keeping  
her immobile and useless. He could also see Ryo was still out of it.  
Tenma almost wished for Tateyama's help and wondered where the swordsman  
was.  
  
He knew that when he let Kage go, he would disappear with  
Akara. He also knew in order to save her life, he had no choice. The  
pressure his foot was applying let up a little, as he prepared to let  
his enemy go.  
  
"That not very nice!" Shan Po's high-pitched voice resonated  
around them. "Evil man not fight fair!"  
  
A whip snaked out of the darkness and coiled around the ninja's  
knife hand, yanking it away before any could react. Then a large, multi-  
colored ball hit the man over the head, banishing his mind to  
unconsciousness. Shan Po materialized out of the darkness, holding onto  
the staff attached to the melon-sized mace. Konisha appeared several  
feet away as well, her whip recoiling back to her.  
  
Kage's squad sprang into action, but the mighty Amazon warrior  
and the daughter of the Kuno Daiymo were too much for them. Konisha's  
whip kept them at bay, while Shan Po flowed through their midst and sent  
them to join their comrade in dreamland. Soon, all five were out cold.  
  
"Tenma!" Akara screamed, her head now cradled by the somewhat-  
recovered Ranko. "Look out!"  
  
Kage had not been idle, but flicked his wrists sending twin  
long knives sliding out of his sleeves and into his hands. He rolled out  
from under Tenma's foot while the boy was distracted, slicing a long  
gash in his leg.  
  
Saotome hissed in pain and recoiled while the ninja leader  
struck like a serpent, the twin daggers flashing foreword with  
incredible speed. Tenma took several slashes to his arms and chests as  
he worked frantically to dodge.  
  
"I was going to just head back with the girl," Kage told him as  
he continued his attacks. "But know I think presenting your broken body  
to the Dark Shogun will be a bigger reward."  
  
Tenma gathered as much bravado as he could. "Just try it!"  
  
Growing tired of being forced on the defensive, Tenma blocked a  
knife thrust on his left bracer, snapping up a kick to knock the other  
knife out of Kage's hand. The weapon shot up into the sky from the force  
of the attack, even as the young Saotome lanced out with a fist at  
blinding speed.  
  
Kage's head jerked to the side from the force of the blow,  
blood and spittle flying. A chop disarmed him of the last knife before  
Tenma brought the same hand up and backhanded his enemy, twisted the  
man's face in the opposite direction. The younger martial artist then  
crouched slightly, his leg whipping up and blurring over the ninja's  
front. When it was over, Kage collapsed backwards.  
  
The airborne knife chose that moment to begin its decent, just  
as Kage recovered enough of his wits to see it coming down, point first,  
heading straight for his neck. As his body was still stunned from his  
opponent's attack, Kage closed his eyes and braced for the end.  
  
*Thunk!*  
  
Realizing that he wasn't dead, the ninja master opened his  
eyes. The knife had stopped an inch above his neck, with Tenma holding  
the handle.  
  
The martial artist's eyes were hard as they bore into the  
downed ninja. Tenma struggled with an inner conflict to just let the  
knife continue its work. After all, HE had hurt Akara. HE had threatened  
her life.  
  
Tenma forced his breathing into calmer territory, but his eyes  
never lost their fury. "You've lost," he said simply. "Take a message to  
you master and to Kae. Tell them if they don't call off this stupid war,  
I'll kill them both."  
  
Kage blinked. "You're letting me go?"  
  
"Tenma, you coward!" Ryo yelled, obviously awake now. "For what  
he did to Akara, he-"  
  
"SHUT UP, RYO!" Tenma barked, his tone commanding and deathly  
serious. He turned back to his downed adversary. "Yes, I'm letting you  
go. But if I ever see your face again, I will kill you... slowly. Do not  
let your path cross mine again." He backed off, pulling the knife away.  
  
The black-clad ninja stood up slowly. "You're a fool, Saotome!  
You're all fools! The Dark Shogun will crush all who stand in his path.  
Your only hope for survival is join him, like I did."  
  
"Is that why Kae betrayed us?" Tenma asked darkly.  
  
He shrugged. "Possibly. Her reasons are her own." Kage turned  
to go, muttering under his breath. "Fools." Then he disappeared into  
the forest.  
  
Only then did Tenma let himself even start to relax, allowing  
the knife to slip from his fingers and land softly upon the ground. He  
sensed Ryo's footsteps come up behind him, while Shan Po and Konisha  
went to help the downed Amazon warriors.  
  
"I hope you know you're doing, Tenma," Ryo said in a low voice.  
  
Tenma's gaze turned toward his fiancee, as Ranko helped her up.  
He couldn't believe the anger he felt at the man who had dared to hurt  
her. It scared just how much he wanted to tear Kage apart. It was the  
first time in a long while he had ever lost his hard-earned iron  
control, and he still found himself trembling and frightened at what he  
was prepared to do.  
  
He stared off into the distance, his eyes unfocused. "So do I."  
  
  
  
  
Ranko carefully adjusted her left arm's sling and winced  
slightly, while pondering all that she had just been told. Her heart  
went out to Akara, now knowing what her friend had been holding in all  
this time. Apparently, this latest confrontation had brought to the  
surface, feelings and fears that Akara had long sought to bury.  
  
After returning to the Amazon encampment by the shore, Ranko's  
sore arm was treated and put into a sling so it would heal faster. A  
couple of male Amazon healers tried to lead the youngest Tendo away to  
treat her wounds as well, but Akara frantically fought them away in  
fear, preferring to stay with the red-head.  
  
Confused, Ranko told the Amazons to leave them alone in the  
tent while she treated Akara's cuts and bruises. As she washed and  
cleaned them, Ranko couldn't help but feel an odd kinship with the  
raven-haired girl. She had come to know Akara well in the past few days,  
and it almost felt like meeting a long lost sister.  
  
As she finished up, Akara finally broke down and began to cry,  
telling the surprised pig-tailed girl an unhappy story that happened  
when she was younger. Shock, fear, outrage, and understanding crossed  
Ranko's face as Akara sobbed out her worst fears.  
  
In the end, Ranko had her right arm around Akara, rocking the  
other girl back and forth as she cried herself out. She understood now  
the barriers Akara had erected around herself, not allowing anyone to  
get close to her. The only reason Ranko was able to get this close, was  
because of how much she reminded Akara of her mother.  
  
In her emotionally vulnerable state, Akara had hinted at  
another person who had managed to work their way inside her shell. Even  
though she didn't mention the person by name, Ranko knew the who other  
girl was talking about. It was someone who the frightened girl had come  
to care about, but was too scared to know what to do about it.  
  
Akara finally stopped talking, looked up at the redhead, and  
for the first time that day, smiled. "Thank you, for... listening to me.  
I'm sorry I made such a scene."  
  
Ranko observed the puffy eyes and tear-streak cheeks, and felt  
that odd sense of sisterhood again. "You're welcome and, don't be  
sorry." She gave Akara's shoulders a squeeze with her one-armed hug.  
"When you share your pain with another, you give them some of the  
burden, that's what my adoptive mother used to tell me." Her gaze  
changed slightly. "Now, I think you should find this other person and  
tell them at least most of what you told me."  
  
The smile disappeared. "I can't do that!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Akara sputtered. "Because.. because..." The only reason she  
could come up with was fear, but she didn't want to admit that.  
  
Unfortunately, Ranko knew this. "Exactly." She tried not to  
sound too triumphant. "If you don't take steps to deal with this fear  
now, it will control you for the rest of your life. I know you care  
about... him, so he's as good a person to start with as any."  
  
The other girl sighed in defeat. "I suppose..." The smile  
returned half-heartily. "But if he makes fun of me, I'll bash his skull  
in."  
  
"Now that's the right attitude! Good girl!"  
  
The two girls smiled at each other and Akara felt a renewed  
sense of happiness return to her. Further conversation was stalled as  
the sound of many women cheering could be heard outside. Curious, the  
pair of female martial artists walked to the tent entrance and pulled  
the flap back, stepping outside.  
  
A large group of Amazons were gathered around an open section  
of the camp. Akara and Ranko glanced at each other, then shot through  
the crowd, trying to get close enough to find out what was going on.  
When they finally reached the site of the big commotion, their jaws  
dropped simultaneously.  
  
Shan Po had glomped onto Tenma and was hugging him as  
affectionately as barnacle hugs the hull of a ship. She pulled her head  
back slightly and started foreword, and it was obvious to everyone what  
she was about to do.  
  
"Tenma!" Akara screeched.  
  
His head jerked to the side at his fiancee's voice, just as  
Shan Po's lips completed their journey, hitting his cheek instead of his  
mouth. This was too much for the trembling Akara, and she turned and  
fled.  
  
"No, Akara, wait!" Tenma called. "This isn't what it looks  
like!" He managed to squirm out of the Amazon's grip and took off after  
her.  
  
"What was THAT all about!?" Ranko demanded of Ryo.  
  
"I don't really know," Ryo replied. "Shan Po was asking if Tenma  
was alright, and he said yes, and then she just attacked him." He  
scratched his head, recalling what had happened next. "Tenma barely  
avoided the swings of her mace-thingys and kicked one into her face,  
knocking her out. When she came to, she just jumped him. The rest you  
saw."  
  
"Is kiss of marriage!" Another Amazon in her teens told them.  
Ryo and Ranko, startled, turned to face the newcomer. "When outsider  
male beats Amazon in combat, she become his wife by law."  
  
"That's crazy!" Ranko protested.  
  
"Yes!" Ryo exulted. "That means Tenma can't marry Akara now! And  
now Akara is free to-" Ranko's elbow found his gut and he doubled over  
from the blow. "Ow!"  
  
"This isn't funny!" Ranko admonished him, slightly hurt. Her  
gaze turned to where Tenma and Akara had departed. "I hope those two  
will be okay..."  
  
  
  
"Akara, wait!" Tenma called again as he witnessed her disappear  
into the forest. Growling in frustration, he took to the treetops in an  
effort to overtake her.  
  
Akara ran, new tears forming in eyes, which was why she didn't  
see the obstacle appear in her path. She bumped into him, and a pair of  
hands found her shoulders. Her insides wound up in fright, and her arm  
wound up for a punch.  
  
*Pow!*  
  
Tenma rubbed his jaw from where he sat on the ground, and Akara  
looked at both him and her fist somewhat guiltily. Her face then settle  
into a scowl.  
  
"Why aren't you with Shan Po?" she asked accusingly. "It looked  
like you two were getting along real well!"  
  
"Knock it off, Akara!" Tenma returned, getting to his feet. "She  
just suddenly attacked me, and when I knocked her out, she jumped me! I  
don't know what got into her!"  
  
Akara crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him  
suspiciously, unsure whether to believe him. She then let out her breath  
in a long exhale, turned her back to him, and in a quiet voice she  
asked, "So why did you come after me?"  
  
Tenma blinked, somewhat surprised by the question. "Well, your  
father did make you my fiancee, so-"  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
He blinked again, unsure of whether he actually heard a bit of  
sorrow in her voice. He sighed and sat down on a nearby log. "You wanna  
know the truth?"  
  
She turned, eyes showing she was a bit surprised, and nodded.  
  
"Look, when I was training with Satsu-sensei, nothing else  
mattered much to me except the Art. Even when my old master tried to  
drop hints about getting to know girls and possibly finding a wife, the  
only thing that I cared about was practicing the Art. I met a few of the  
girls from the nearby village, but frankly didn't think much of them,  
except as a distraction. They just didn't seem to matter much to me." He  
paused, and Akara took the moment to sit down next to him. His eyes were  
closed, as if he recalling another time and place entirely.  
  
"I didn't tell you this before," Tenma continued. "But in the  
same note that my sensei left after he died, where he told me to meet  
with Tendo-san, he also told me of a deal he struck with your father. He  
didn't go into details, but he told me to honor the proposition Tendo-  
san would make when I met him. I had no idea that meant a fiancee. And  
then you were elected to fill that role, and as opposed to the girls I  
knew in the village, you didn't seem to like me very much."  
  
Akara looked down at her toes, guilt ringing in her heart.  
"I...don't hate you, Tenma... I never really did. It was just... what  
you represented..."  
  
He brought his head up to look at her, some confusion on his  
face. "Akara?"  
  
"Because of... an incident that happened when I was younger,  
I... didn't really like boys." Akara could feel herself tremble as she  
recalled the event. For some reason, it wasn't as bad, now that she had  
told Ranko. "I was almost 12 at the time, and was out after dark, coming  
home from a friend's house. I was happier then, and carefree, believing  
all was right and good."  
  
That was before the Dark Shogun started his war of conquest,  
Tenma realized. The land was a bit more peaceful then, with only the  
occasional border skirmish between the various Daiymo.  
  
"I never really saw them, it was so dark," Akara was saying.  
"They grabbed me, restrained me, covered my mouth so I couldn't even  
scream, then dragged me into an alley." She felt herself begin to shake  
again, but then she felt Tenma's hand squeeze her shoulder and the  
contact seemed to calm her, despite the fact that she expected it to  
have the opposite effect. "They tore off my clothes, and I knew what  
they were going to do..." Her eyes were clamped shut by this time.  
  
"But then someone was there, fighting them off all by himself.  
He draped a blanket around me, and I realized it was my father. He  
carried me home where I cried myself to sleep. I had been doing only  
light training, learning from my father, but the next day I asked him to  
teach me all he knew. I wanted to be strong enough so that no boy could  
ever take advantage of me."  
  
"I... I don't know what to say," Tenma whispered. What was one  
supposed to say when someone tells you something like that?  
  
"And then you showed up, and you didn't try and take advantage  
of me, even when father made you my fiance. You were... different then  
the boys I knew." She shook her head, then continued a bit more  
nervously. "But now you know. I... I won't blame you if you don't want  
to continue the engagement. I think I can get Kimiko to help me talk  
father out of it."  
  
"Well, what if I said... what if I said, it didn't matter?" he  
supplied just as nervously.  
  
Akara blinked, clearly surprised. "What?"  
  
"You weren't like any of the village girls I used to know," he  
told her quickly, before he lost his nerve. "You were tough, and  
skilled, and weren't afraid to tell me what you thought, as opposed to  
the village girls who kept pushing themselves on me. And then I heard  
that Tateyama was going to marry you, and I got so... angry for some  
reason. The same thing happened when Kage threatened your life. Then  
I... well, I realized that you... well, matter to me and I don't want to  
lose you."  
  
"Tenma..." Her heart, going a million miles a minute, seemed to  
melt at the statement.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I'd kinda like to try and make this  
work, that is if want to... If you don't, that's okay, too." He  
completed his spiel and sat nervously studying his toes. Some part of  
him thought the whole thing was stupid and inane, the way he was  
practically going to pieces for some girl.  
  
Then he felt her slip her hand into his, and suddenly, it  
didn't seem so stupid anymore. "I... wouldn't mind seeing where this  
goes, either," she told him shyly.  
  
He gulped. "A-Akara?"  
  
"After all," she continued with a grin, "I couldn't do much  
worse for a fiance."  
  
Tenma's emotions underwent rapid readjustment, into more  
familiar territory. "Hey I think you should be thankful to have me  
engaged to you, with me being so good looking, and you being so  
uncute..."  
  
*Bop!* "Oh really!?"  
  
He gingerly rubbed the bump on his head. "Well, that is-" A  
pair of fingers fell on his lips, but that's not what stopped him from  
saying more. It was the sight of her twinkling, big brown eyes, lush,  
full lips, and pink-tinged skin only inches away when he turned his head  
to look at her, that rendered him speechless.  
  
"Shut up, before you say any more stupid things," she chided  
him.  
  
As Tenma continued to gaze at her, his mouth suddenly felt dry,  
so he swallowed. Why hadn't she looked this cute before? Had he just not  
noticed? "Well, um, so... what now?" he asked, because he couldn't think  
of anything else.  
  
Her blush intensified, and she could swear her ears were  
burning. "Well, normally, an engaged couple get closer by, uh, kissing."  
She couldn't believe what she had just said, since the whole concept  
hadn't much occurred to her in the past several weeks.  
  
Tenma blinked, then he backed up a foot.. "You want me to kiss  
you!?" It came out more forceful then he intended.  
  
"What's the matter!?" she demanded to know.  
  
"Nothing!" he insisted, hands waving in front of him in warding  
gestures.  
  
Akara smiled suddenly. "Oh ho, I get it. You don't know how to  
kiss, do you?"  
  
"What!?"  
  
She grinned wider. "That's it! So it's understandable you'd be  
too scared to try it!" A part of her knew that she was goading him, and  
knowing Tenma, that part of her mind knew what the outcome would be.  
Strangely, she wasn't as scared at the prospect as she thought she'd be.  
  
"I am not!" he retorted. "You better take that back, or else!"  
  
"Or else what?" She batted her eyes at him, in a move that she  
hoped would fluster him. It partially worked. "You're going turn chicken  
and run off?"  
  
He shoved down the nervousness and surprise he had been  
feeling, his face hardening as if for battle. "No, 'cause something like  
that should mean something!"  
  
"What makes you think it won't, Mr. Chicken?"  
  
And then she began to cluck.  
  
For Tenma, it was the last straw, and suddenly his lips were  
hot on hers.  
  
She sucked breath in through her nose. She hadn't even seen him  
move! She froze, the only sound in her ears being the intense beating of  
her heart that she swore he could probably feel, since his chest was  
pressed up against hers.  
  
It was nice, she decided at last, if a bit clumsy. Then it was  
over, and he was pulling back, his face as flushed as hers, blood  
pounding in their ears, and both breathing heavily. She swallowed once,  
trying to find her voice.  
  
"Well, not bad," she said at last, her breath returning.  
  
"Not bad!?" He sounded insulted, and Akara giggled, suddenly  
feeling like a younger, care-free girl again.  
  
"I'll admit there's some potential, but...." she trailed off,  
suggestively.  
  
"Listen you-!"  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest. "So, I guess you'll just  
have to practice until you get it right."  
  
He stopped, as that sounded like an open invitation to him. Did  
she really want to-? Did she really feel-? He tilted his head towards  
her again, slower this time, giving her time to back out. He felt more  
self-conscious and scared this time, even though he had just kissed her  
once and was still alive to remember it.  
  
She saw his approach this time, gathered her courage and closed  
the distance. Their lips brushed against each other, tentatively at  
first, but then Akara applied pressure, pushing them more firmly  
together. Her fingers laced themselves through her fiance's pony-tail,  
not even realizing she was holding it. His hands were on her shoulders,  
gripping firmly as the rush of feelings and emotions consumed them both.  
  
That would've continued for quite some time, if they hadn't  
been disturbed.  
  
"TENCHAN!"  
  
The screech galvanized Tenma's instincts and he firmly shoved  
Akara backwards. She tumbled clumsily off the log and fell into the  
grassy brush behind it, even as he rolled backwards, thus avoiding the  
metal projectiles that lodged themselves in log where the couple had  
been sitting.  
  
Again, letting his training and instinct guide him, he placed  
his hands on the log and flipped backwards into a standing position,  
narrowly avoiding the swish of the large weapon that was aiming for him.  
Only then, did he finally see their assailant, as she touched down on  
the log in front of him, holding her unusual weapon with both hands.  
  
He blinked, recognizing both the weapon and the girl, and  
uttered one name in total surprise.  
  
"Yu-chan!?!?"  
  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
Although it may seem to be a bit too soon for it, remember that these  
two, although they have a lot in common with Ranma and Akane, aren't the  
same people. Before Shampoo showed up in the manga, R&A came very close  
to kissing (if not for their voyeur family watching and taping it, they  
would have kissed). Also, Tenma has almost lost Akara twice already, and  
these two are older (19, as opposed to 16), are somewhat more mature,  
and Akara has Ranko for support, helping her. 


	4. Chapter 4

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 4  
  
  
  
  
"So the way is finally open, despite your cowardice, General."  
  
The others gathered around the small auditorium held their  
breath, dreading their Leader's reaction to Darmondo's near-traitorous  
statement. For the next minute, the only sound in the darkened room was  
the steady pulsing of the melon-sized vortex, swirling in the center of  
the pentagram that adorned the floor.  
  
Their liege stood with his back to his followers, his black  
cape swirling from the blood red energies flowing around the portal.  
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and even. "It has been a long  
time since I have been addressed by that title."  
  
Darmondo smirked, but no one could see it under his ebony cowl.  
"But it is what you will become again, now that She has passed from this  
world. The key has unlocked the final door and our path is now open. It  
won't be long until our master emerges. Your total command of this group  
is over."  
  
Again there was silence following this pronouncement, then  
those gathered observed their leader's shoulder begin to shake slightly.  
It didn't take them long to realize he was quietly chuckling. After  
several seconds of this, the laughter cut off and he turned around to  
spear Darmondo with a look. "Do you think me a fool?"  
  
The sorcerer was caught off-guard. "What?"  
  
"I said, Do you think me a fool?" The man who was once a general  
and now commanded this small band of mercenaries and warriors,  
reiterated. "I knew what you were up to. I knew you gave Drakon that  
masking orb and tricked him into doing your dirty work. I didn't  
interfere because I believed it he would succeed, and he did." His eyes  
glinted dangerously. "And Drakon returned to China as well. He would  
have recovered and joined us, but you finished him off."  
  
"But he was dangerous to have around!" the wizard countered. "He  
was never really one of us! His kind have always despised us. He was  
just playing along until he received an opportunity to kill our Master!"  
  
The leader shook his head. "How little you understand." Behind  
him, the swirling portal pulsed and widened by another few centimeters.  
"I've been in contact with the Shogun ever since we woke up. In fact, it  
was the Shogun who awakened us. Together, we planned out the steps  
necessary for his return." He grinned. "We knew of your 'secret'  
activities. We only allowed them to proceed because they served us. Now  
the question is: Will you continue to serve the Shogun, whom you swore  
yourself to?"  
  
Darmondo was thankful for the cowl, for it also hid the  
seething anger his face now displayed. He managed to rein it in,  
however, and choke out the words, "I am loyal to the Shogun, from now  
until death."  
  
With the rehearsed reply, the wizard turned and strode from the  
room amongst the murmurs of the other Rogues.  
  
The leader of the Rogues turned to his troops. "The portal will  
be fully open by the next lunar cycle. We only have to wait until then,  
and our Master, the Shogun, will return. Not all of you were here when  
our Shogun last walked the Earth, but continue to serve and you will be  
rewarded. The governments and leaders of this time are not prepared to  
handle the threat we pose. We cannot and will not fail."  
  
The sound of one set of hands clapping echoed off the high-  
ceiling and walls of the auditorium. All turned to discover the source  
of the noise, and found it to be the newest recruit, a somewhat short,  
blond haired man in a purple gi.  
  
"Very impressive speech," he commended the Rogue Leader.  
  
"Kato, you have only recently been approved," came the reply.  
"You do not have the standing to say anything. Mind your place."  
  
Kato held up a hand. "Oh, I shall. I know a winning side when I  
see one. I am a survivor, after all."  
  
He took a long puff on his pipe, grinned evilly, then walked  
off into the shadows, cackling to himself.  
  
  
  
  
"Is there anything else I can do for you, mistress?" Sasuke  
asked worriedly as he placed the tray of food on her table.  
  
His mistress hadn't been the same since Master Kuno brought her  
home from the mental hospital and she had discovered Ranma's marriage to  
Akane. That was a week ago.  
  
Gone were the insane laughing and leaping about. Gone was her  
smile and bottomless enthusiasm. Oh sure, she was a little bit crazed  
then, but she also seemed much happier. Nowadays, she appeared to be  
more depressed. She went through the day's activities as if they were a  
loathsome duty, instead of task to be enjoyed.  
  
Her greenhouse plants were left unattended, and she no longer  
worked on her chemistry formulae. Even her gymnastics equipment were  
left abandoned in a corner of her room. Oh, how he wished he could see  
her smile once more, or find something that would take her mind off  
current events.  
  
"That will be all," Kodachi replied with some warmth. "Thank  
you, Sasuke."  
  
The little ninja that served the Kuno house bowed and backed  
out of her room, but his mind was both worried and shocked.  
  
That was the first time his mistress had thanked him.  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo bounded through the trees, leaping from branches and  
trunks as she chased her latest quarry. It wove it's way through the  
forest canopy like a pro, but in the end, it was no contest. The feral  
Amazon caught up to the panicked squirrel and snatched it up with her  
right claw.  
  
Grinning to herself, she started in on her 'lunch.'  
  
It had been a couple of weeks since she began to train on her  
own, learning to use her new body. It reminded her of the times her  
great-grandmother would leave her in the forest alone and force Shampoo  
to survive, finding her own way back to the village. In six months, she  
learned enough to live in the wild without ever needing to go back.  
  
She had also become an excellent hunter. Combined with her new  
body's agility, sense of smell, and sense of hearing, there wasn't an  
animal alive that could escape her. She captured and killed birds and  
boars, and many other animals with just her natural abilities alone. She  
even felt that she might almost be a match for Ranma's Nekoken as well,  
though she wasn't eager to test the theory.  
  
But her pride with her new skills was diminished by the  
increasing loneliness she was feeling. At first, she was glad to be away  
from Mousse, but as time went on she found herself almost wishing for  
some company, even if it was the blind and stupid duck that had been at  
her side for as long as she could remember.  
  
And as much as she had gotten used to her new body, she wanted  
her old one back. Turning into a cat occasionally wasn't that bad, but  
now she was afraid of going back to village lest she be labeled a freak  
or a monster and made fun of. Yet she also had to talk to someone about  
this. One of the elders might have the knowledge to undo what had been  
done to her.  
  
Shampoo finished off her meal and found a stream to drink from,  
all the while going through the plan in her head. She knew she wasn't  
far from the village, and with her new speed she would easily be able to  
reach it before sundown. Then she would have to wait, sneaking in under  
the cover of darkness, not letting anyone see her. With the abilities  
granted to her by her new form, she felt that it would not be that  
difficult. And if everything went according to plan, she might even be  
cured before sunrise!  
  
Gathering up her determination, Shampoo headed for her home.  
  
  
  
  
"This will do perfectly, don't you agree?" She gestured to the  
old, rotting, and condemned building. The old woman's unwilling partner  
merely shot her a glare, causing Zhao Len to chuckle. "Come now, once I  
have all of those responsible for my downfall, including that whelp that  
defeated me, I will let you go and do as you wish. You may go and  
destroy the 'dark' that you seem so intent on doing, Kae, if that is  
your real name."  
  
The withered ex-Amazon walked inside the structure, gauging  
it's strength and making mental notes. Behind her, Kae kept pace, forced  
to stay in close proximity to the old crone because of the magical ruby  
Zhao Len carried.  
  
"Revenge, huh?" the words came Kenji's mouth, but it was not his  
voice. "I suppose I can understand that. Don't expect me to like it,  
however." [It figures I'd get stuck with a body that can be easily  
controlled. And as long as she has that gem, I can't touch her. Hmmm,  
maybe one of these others she's planning revenge on would do me the  
honor of killing this old bitch.]  
  
Zhao Len turned to her puppet and held up the bloody red gem  
between her first and middle fingers. Kenji's body jerked upright. "And  
get any thoughts of betraying me out of your head. You will do as I want  
and I will let you go. Disobey me and you will die. It's as simple as  
that." The gem began to pulse and glow, like a living heart.  
  
"Very well," Kae seethed through clenched teeth. "I'll do what  
you want, for now."  
  
The old woman chuckled. "Oh, you'll do better than that."  
  
A thin beam of light shot from the gem to strike the young  
boy's forehead. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he spasmed  
in pain, once. Then his body jerked upright and Kae's pupils shrink to  
pinpoint like dots.  
  
"I will do as you wish, Master," the boy drolled in a monotone  
voice.  
  
"Excellent. Then this is what you shall do..."  
  
  
  
  
Kodachi Kuno knew Sasuke was worried about her. In fact, she  
knew her brother was worried about her, too. There was quite a bit she  
was more aware of, now that her mind was clearer than it had been in a  
long time. Now she could look back on her life, and see that she had no  
friends, just people who were afraid of her and followed her orders.  
  
And she had no fiance, boyfriend, lover, or whatever else she  
had tried to fool herself into believe Ranma was to her. His heart  
belonged to Akane Tendo, who was now Akane Saotome.  
  
She wished she had a normal family and a normal childhood, then  
maybe she might have had a chance with Ranma. But no matter how much she  
wished for it, she had to deal with the family she had. She did feel a  
little closer to her brother now, but it would have been nice to have a  
mother and father as well. Unfortunately, her father hadn't been seen  
for the past eight months or so, ever since he was bitten by a dog or  
something.  
  
Kodachi never really understood what that was all about.  
  
Of her mother, she could few details from her childhood, but  
her emotions told her she should hate the woman who seemingly abandoned  
them. But more recently, she appeared to have pictures of her mother  
caring for her, loving her, and healing her. But she couldn't remember  
what happened to her mother. Did she die? Run away? What? It was like a  
dream where she couldn't remember the ending. Just a vague sense of  
something important happening recently that involved both her mother and  
brother.  
  
When she asked Tatewaki about it, he just quietly told her that  
mother wasn't coming back, that she had passed away. He didn't seem to  
be willing to share any more information than that.  
  
Kodachi Kuno sighed, then glanced up to see where she was.  
Distracted by her thoughts, she realized she had wandered into the large  
indoor bathing room of the mansion. A couple of ornate marble pools  
containing heated water gurgled quietly from the small waterfalls that  
fed them. Various flora decorated the room, giving the whole area a  
sense of a mountain hot spring.  
  
[Maybe I shall take a bath, to get my mind off things,] she  
decided and began to remove her kimono. Quickly washing down, she eased  
herself into the warm, soothing waters and relaxed, willing the hot  
water to remove her tension.  
  
"I wish I could find someone to share this with," she mumbled  
quietly to herself. That was what she really wanted, to be loved by  
someone totally and unconditionally. "But where will I find a man that's  
not afraid of me and will treat me as an equal?"  
  
As she finished this spoken thought, she became aware of a  
strange whistling sound. Curious, she sat up slightly and attempted to  
attune her ears to the weird noise. [If I didn't know any better, I  
would swear that it is growing louder.] She cocked her head in confusion  
and tried to discern the direction of the ever louder whistle, and her  
eyes widened when she figured out where it was coming from. [Above?]  
  
*CRASH!* *BANG!* *BOOM!*  
  
Kodachi sputtered as she coughed up the water she swallowed,  
recovering from her dunking. Drying her eyes revealed a hole in the  
ceiling and a small dust cloud over the adjoining pool.  
  
"Oh dear, I shall have to get Sasuke to fix that," she mused.  
"Now I suppose I had better find out who caused this mess, so I know to  
whom to address the bill."  
  
Driven by curiosity and heedless of her own nudity, Kodachi  
stood up and strode over to the impact spot, only to blush furiously and  
utter a very Kasumi-like, "Oh my!" when she glimpsed the culprit.  
  
Laying in the other pool, was a very good-looking and well-  
toned male bishonen youth. He was also, like her, quite naked.  
  
To her surprise, the youth attempted to rise, only freezing as  
he caught sight of Kodachi in all her glory. Of course, his natural  
reaction was for the his eyes to mimic large saucers and blood to  
trickle out of his nose.  
  
For several seconds, the scene was frozen as the two stared at  
each other. Then the house decided that was enough, and unleashed a  
wooden beam from the ceiling to smash into the boy, conking him in the  
noggin sending him into unconsciousness.  
  
Kodachi broke out of her trance and went to help the strange  
boy before he drowned in the three foot deep water. [Well, I wished for  
man. A sign from the gods, perhaps?]  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo crouched silently in the bushes. Despite the dark blue  
and purple of her new fur, she managed to stay hidden from the patrols  
while she waited for the sun to go down. Of course, the fact that she  
had used some mud to darken her coloring helped. Once the sun dipped  
below the horizon and the stars began to glow in the night sky, the  
feral Amazon felt it was time.  
  
With a speed and agility that she hadn't possessed in a long  
time, Shampoo blurred out of her hiding space, the only sound being the  
air she displaced as she sprinted. She scampered up a tree at the edge  
of the forest and hid amongst it's thick branches. The next thirty  
meters were bare of everything except some light scrub grass and tall  
rock formations.  
  
Beyond that loomed the walls of Nyuchiehzu, the home of the  
Joketsuzoku, nestled in the rocky, mountainous reaches of Quingh-Hai  
province. For as long as Shampoo could remember, this had been her home,  
until the day Ranma arrived and beat her, quite easily, in front of the  
whole village. Shamed by what she viewed as her incredible failure, she  
felt the only way to regain her pride was to kill the girl.  
  
Shampoo shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. She  
couldn't afford to be distracted. Timing the motions of the sentries,  
she picked her moment and leapt out of the trees, hitting the ground in  
a rapid sprint that covered the full thirty meters in just a few  
seconds. She let the shadow cast by wall, thanks to the half-moon, hide  
her presence. From there, it was a short leap over the barrier and she  
was inside.  
  
She had to be more careful now, as there were more people  
moving around inside than out, as well as the light of torches that  
illuminated the inside. Drawing upon all her knowledge of stealth and  
the quieter movements her cat-like body possessed, she stalked from  
shadow to shadow, seeking one house, and one person in particular.  
  
  
  
  
Elder Pu Yon closed the door and stepped inside, savoring the  
warmth the fireplace gave to the room. She wasn't that old, having just  
lived over 50 years, but the cold outside seemed harsher to her every  
year. She was a warrior as well, though not the best of the village, she  
was by no means a slouch either.  
  
Which was why she sensed the other presence in her house. "[Who  
are you?]" she demanded to know, speaking Chinese. The only glow came  
from the fireplace, leaving several areas shrouded in darkness.  
  
Included that corner by the window, Pu Yon realized. In one  
smooth motion, she retrieved several small objects from inside her  
Mandarin blouse, then let the three kunai darts fly. But instead of the  
sound of steel striking either wood or flesh, there was nothing, as if  
the darkness had swallowed the weapons.  
  
At least until the three small objects were tossed in a lazy  
arc to end up in the middle of the room.  
  
"[Elder...]" came the faint feminine voice from the corner.  
"[Auntie...]"  
  
The old woman blinked. "[Shan Pu? Is that you?]" She took a  
step towards the corner, bow able to see the outline of a vaguely  
humanoid form.  
  
"[Stop!]" The command from the corner stopped the Elder in her  
tracks.  
  
"[Shan Pu?]" Pu Yon asked. "[What's wrong? Where have you  
been?]"  
  
The girl in the shadows seemed to hesitate before replying,  
"[I... need your help.]  
  
Curious, the older woman tried to take another step forward  
before being ordered to stop again, though this time it came out as more  
of a plea. Pu Yon inhaled sharply through her nose and crossed her arms  
over her chest.  
  
"[Enough stalling, Shan Pu,]" the elderly woman chastised in a  
stern voice. "[Tell me what this is about.]" Unlike Cologne, who  
preferred to let children have more freedom to do as they please and  
learn from their mistakes, Pu Yon felt that a sterner hand was required.  
  
There was a few moments of silence, and then Shampoo stretched  
her hand into the light. Pu Yon gasped as she beheld the claw-like hand  
that was covered with matted bluish-purplish fur.  
  
The older woman's eyes narrowed. "[Who or what are you?]"  
  
"[I am Shan Pu, Elder!]" the girl in the insisted in a near-  
panicked voice.  
  
"[Then step into the light where I can see you,]" Pu Yon  
demanded, her patience growing thing. "[Amazon warriors do not cower in  
darkness.]"  
  
The girl in the shadows hung her head, but heeded the command  
and stepped fully into the light. Elder Pu Yon was better able to  
contain her shock this time as she studied her guest. The humble girl  
that stood before her now was a far cry from the prideful Amazon warrior  
that left the village all those months ago.  
  
The muddy and filthy rag-tag remains of Shampoo's battle  
bodysuit, barely only covered where modesty demanded. The rest of her  
form was hidden by the same bluish-purplish fur that Pu Yon had seen on  
the girl's hand. It was quite a few shades darker than Shampoo's normal  
purple hair, which now seemed more like a mane that matched the rest of  
her fur, hanging down slightly past her waist. Even her face sported a  
little fur, which now had a cat's nose and whiskers to accompany it. The  
only really left unchanged, where Shampoo's eyes, which were still a  
dark purple to match the rest of her.  
  
"[What have you don to yourself, child?]" Pu Yon asked in a  
tired voice.  
  
"[My Jusenkyo curse was merged with my real body by a ghost cat  
name Mao Mao Lin,]" Shampoo explained in a quiet voice. "[Do you know of  
anything that can return me to normal?]"  
  
The old woman sighed and shook her head sadly. "[Your great-  
grandmother was the foremost expert on magicks and village lore. I'm  
afraid I am not as aware of anyway to reverse this.]"  
  
"[There must be something you can do!]" Shampoo pleaded, the  
desperation in her voice clear. "[I want to turn back to normal!]"  
  
"[Stop it, Shan Pu!]" Pu Yon ordered. "[Khu Lon may have put  
with your demanding attitude, but I will not!]" She nodded in relief as  
the cat-like girl calmed down, showing proper respect. "[Now, I do have  
access to the vault of knowledge as an Elder, but since I haven't been  
one for very long, I do not know all of what it contains. I will look  
through it to see if I can find something to return you to normal.]"  
  
Shampoo's expression changed from apprehension, to one of hope,  
but before she could say anything, there came a shout from outside. Both  
women turned at the yell, but Shampoo showed more worry that Pu Yon.  
  
"[Now what's going on?]" the Elder woman wondered out loud,  
heading for the window. "[What's with all the racket?]" she yelled to a  
passing Amazon warrior.  
  
"[There's an intruder in the village,]" the out-of-breath  
warrior replied. "[Su Yin was found unconscious a short while ago. She  
was attacked.]"  
  
Pu Yon nodded and let the warrior go, turning back inside  
toward the cat-girl. "I assume you had something to do with this?]"  
  
It was no secret that Su Yin was jealous of Shampoo, and she  
leader of a group of girls that weren't too fond of Shampoo's  
accomplishments nor her privileged position as Cologne's heir. Su Yin  
was also the second-best of her generation, while Shampoo was naturally  
the best; until Ranma came along, that is.  
  
Shampoo actually looked sheepish. "[Um, she spotted me, and I  
didn't want anyone to know I was here.]"  
  
Pu Yon thought it was something more than that, but didn't  
pursue the issue. "Really? Well I can't say I'm surprised.]"  
  
Shampoo's eyes widened as a knock came at the door. "[You can't  
tell anyone I was here!]"  
  
"[Elder Pu Yon!]" someone called from outside. "[Are you there?  
Are you alright?]"  
  
The old woman sighed. "[Very well. Because of you I am an Elder  
now, so I owe you a debt. Go now. I will search for a cure and come for  
you when I have discovered one.]"  
  
"[How will you find me?]" Shampoo asked worriedly, but moving to  
the window to make her escape.  
  
"[There is a man living deep in the woods about eight kilometers  
northeast of here,]" Pu Yon responded. "[His name is Fen Wu, and he used  
to be of this village. Wait for me there!]"  
  
The knock at the door sounded again. "[Pu Yon? Are you okay in  
there?]"  
  
"[Go!]" the Elder commanded, practically shoving the girl out  
the window. She didn't wait to see if Shampoo got away, before answering  
the door. "[Yes, yes, I'm fine. You needn't make such a racket.]"  
  
The young female warrior gave a short bow as an apology. "[I  
apologize, Elder. But there is an intruder somewhere in the village, and  
we do not think it is totally human. It could be a Musk warrior.]"  
  
Pu Yon hid her smile. While it had happened rarely in the past,  
that a Musk warrior would seek out an Amazon for a wife, it hadn't  
happened at all in the 200 years. Now it was more of a story told to  
scare young Amazon children into behaving, or else a Musk warrior would  
get them.  
  
"[I'll be on guard,]" Pu Yon told the young warrior wryly. The  
girl bowed again and left, while the Elder glanced up at the night sky.  
[And good luck to you, Shampoo.]  
  
  
  
  
Shampoo paused in the forest, having just barely evaded the  
patrols of warriors looking for her. She had been spotted several times,  
but by keeping to the shadows, they never got a good look at her. Her  
speed and agility kept her one step ahead, until she finally lost them  
in the woods.  
  
Now breathing a sigh of relief, the cat-girl focused her mind  
on the task at hand, then grimaced when she remembered what the Elder  
had told her. She had to go back to Fen Wu's cabin to wait, and she knew  
Mousse was there. She didn't particularly want to see the love-struck  
nuisance again, but it looked like she had no choice. Though since he  
didn't pursue her when she left there, maybe he had finally given up his  
stupid obsession with her.  
  
After all, she realized, lesser miracles have been known to  
happen.  
  
Sighing, Shampoo curled up in a high tree branch to spend the  
night, figuring she'd head back to the cabin tomorrow.  
  
  
  
  
"Ucchan, I finished cleaning the kitchen," Yuri called to the  
chef who was in the main dining area, scrubbing at the grill that was  
her pride and joy.  
  
"Okay, I'm almost done here, then we can close up from for the  
night, Yuchan," Ukyo returned, smiling a bit at the nicknames they were  
calling each other now. Normally her nickname was reserved for Ranma  
alone, but she figured the best way to totally get over him was to allow  
her closest friends to call her that as well.  
  
Yuri removed her apron and drained the sink, leaving the dishes  
to dry while she headed out into the main room. She nodded to Ukyo, then  
began to close the curtains. Midway through closing the big one that  
covered the main window looking out into the street, she caught a flash  
of movement from outside and stopped her actions.  
  
The figure outside stopped as well, standing across the street  
and out of the illumination provided by the street lamps, forcing Yuri  
to squint her eyes to see him. There was something about the figure's  
movement, something familiar, though she could only see a vague outline  
in the darkness, even with her enhanced night vision.  
  
She gasped as the figure turned and briskly moved off. Yuri  
dashed to the door. "Kenji!" she called out to the darkness, but  
received no reply.  
  
Ukyo caught the name and leapt over the counter to stand beside  
her waitress. "What? Did you see him?" She had eventually cornered the  
story of Kenji's disappearance from Yuri and Konatsu, and was more than  
a little worried herself.  
  
The street outside, however, was empty of living beings.  
  
Yuri sighed. "Maybe not. I thought I saw someone that looked  
like him, but I guess I was wrong."  
  
Looking down the street to the right, Ukyo's eyes widened. "Or  
maybe not! Look!"  
  
Yuri turned to see a figure leaping from street light to street  
light, making its way down the road and approaching an intersection. The  
leaping technique was familiar to her, and yet was not. "It could be  
him..."  
  
"Are you speaking of Kenji-sama?" The two girls nearly jumped  
out of their skin as Konatsu seemingly materialized out of thin air.  
  
"That's what Yuri thinks." Ukyo holstered her battle spatula on  
her back and adjusted her bandoleer, then dashed out into the street.  
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Come on, let's go before we  
lose him!" She waved to her compatriots.  
  
"Right!" Yuri agreed, then all three sprinted down the street,  
taking to the roof tops as they hit the corner where they quarry turned.  
They paused for a second to get their bearings, then Yuri spotted the  
receding black-clad figure. "There he is!"  
  
"Well, I know everyone in this town that can roof-hop," Ukyo  
said as they jumped along. "And this guy doesn't look like any of them."  
  
"If it is Kenji, why is he running away from us?" Yuri wondered  
out loud.  
  
"Perhaps, he has his reasons," Konatsu offered.  
  
"Well, whoever he is, I want to find out what he's doing here,"  
Ukyo said increasing her speed some to try and keep up with the two  
faster ninja. "At the very least, a new martial artist in town always  
spells trouble."  
  
The other two agreed, then no more conversation was held as the  
three concentrated on chasing the mysterious individual. It seemed no  
matter how fast they ran, they still came no closer to catching up with  
him. On the other hand, the figure never got far enough away that they  
lost sight of him, either.  
  
[It's almost as if he wants us to follow him,] Ukyo wondered.  
[But why?]  
  
After five minutes of running, the figure left the rooftop and  
jumped back down to the street. His three pursuers followed shortly  
thereafter, but when they hit the ground, their quarry was nowhere in  
sight.  
  
A door slammed across the street, drawing three pairs of eyes  
to its location: an old, run-down office building.  
  
"Don't tell me he went in there?" Ukyo panted, nearly out of  
breath. She wasn't used to running like that, but was amazed that  
Konatsu and Yuri only seemed only a little winded.  
  
"Okay, I won't tell you that." Yuri smirked at her friend, the  
started forward. "Well, as Ukyo said earlier, there's only one way to  
find out. Come on, 'Natsu-chan!"  
  
Her forward momentum was halted by a hand on her arm. "Wait,  
Yuri-sama. does this not feel wrong to you?"  
  
"He's got a point, Yuchan," Ukyo agreed. "Didn't ya notice that  
he kept in sight all this time, despite the fact that we were running  
full out?"  
  
"Even so, I just know my brother's in there somewhere! It just  
feels right, I can't explain it!" She turned and started forward again.  
"You can sit outside if you want, but I'm going inside."  
  
Ukyo and Konatsu glanced at each and sighed, then followed the  
stubborn girl as she opened the creaking door and stepped inside.  
  
  
  
  
High above, another pair of eyes watched them enter from a  
fourth story window, and the lips belonging to the same face as those  
eyes, twisted upward into a grin. [Perfect. They have arrived. I knew  
that stupid sister of his wouldn't be able to resist my lure. The first  
pieces have fallen into place. Now I need merely wait.]  
  
Zhao Len cackled to herself, as the clouds outside began to  
rumble ominously with the sounds of thunder.  
  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Who's the guy who dropped in on Kodachi? You can probably guess, but if  
you can't, here's a hint: In the manga, he 'dropped' into the Tendo  
house a couple of times. 


	5. Chapter 5

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds And Connections  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
  
Selah Lenwith huffed as she ran along the ground. A short time  
ago, she had seen all three of her housemates take off, saying something  
about Kenji. She had tried to catch up with them, but had lost them when  
they took to the roof. Not as physically able as the three martial  
artists, she quickly ran out of breath after several blocks of  
sprinting.  
  
She paused at the next intersection, unable to determine which  
direction they traveled in. "Oh pooh! I'll never find them now!" She  
stomped her foot in anger. "How dare they leave me behind! If it is  
Kenji-chan, he'll need me!"  
  
The young water mage sighed and collapsed on a bus stop bench  
to catch her breath, letting the chilly night air cool her overheated  
body. [How am I supposed to find them now?] she asked herself, running  
her hands through her shoulder-length, light-blue hair. As her body  
temperature dropped, she suddenly had her answer and shot to her feet.  
  
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "They must be running warm, too!  
I'll just take a reading on the moisture in the air. If it hasn't been  
too long, they should have left a slight trail!"  
  
Buoyed by this revelation, she closed her eyes and  
concentrated, letting her magic mingle with water moisture around her.  
Her aura of detection grew in diameter as she gauged the humidity of the  
air in all directions. [There!] She had it! It was faint, but there was  
a slight trail of warmer air drifning over the housetops.  
  
Refreshed and recovered somewhat, Selah took off down the  
street, homing in on her friends' trail.  
  
After ten more minutes of travel, Selah stopped. The trail had  
practically dissipated by now and she was hard pressed to follow it much  
further. Glancing around revealed that she had ended up in a more run-  
down section of Nerima, with several boarded-up houses and larger  
buildings scheduled for demolition.  
  
[Now where am I supposed to go?] she wondered in despair. She  
hadn't a clue where they could have ended up now, as the trail ended  
here. [Are they in one of these buildings? Or did the temperature trail  
finally just plain dissipate?]  
  
She sighed and leaned up against one of the concrete walls  
surrounding one of the condemned properties, wondering what she should  
do now.  
  
And then she heard the scream.  
  
  
  
  
The martial artist crouched, hands out to either side, while he  
awaited the attack. He didn't have to wait long.  
  
The arrow approached from his right, and he twisted to catch it  
in his right hand, while his left flung three sharp knives in response.  
Three deep *thunks* sounded in the distance, letting him know he had  
missed his opponent completely, but a not a tree trunk.  
  
It was quiet again, and Mousse scanned for his attacker, but  
couldn't even hear the leaves rustle. Trying to see his adversary was  
pointless even if he was wearing his glasses. With a new moon, the night  
was pitch black, and the forest canopy shielded him from the stars  
above.  
  
Without sight, and with no noise being made by his attacker,  
Mousse was really blind.  
  
"[That response was sloppy, Mu Tsu,]" his male opponent told him  
disdainfully in Chinese from the darkness.  
  
Mousse didn't bother with a reply, twisting a quarter-turn and  
moving ever so slightly to his right. His tactic paid off. The spear  
that would have skewered him, landed in the soft ground he had been  
standing in moments before.  
  
Grinning to himself, he laid his hand on the cool metal of the  
shaft and pulled it out of the ground. By the angle if its entry, Mousse  
could tell which direction it was thrown and from how far away. But as  
he hefted the weapon and prepared to throw, it was suddenly jerked from  
his grasp.  
  
He managed to get a tighter grip on the spear to hold onto it,  
but he was still pulled off balance. That proved to be a nearly costly  
mistake, as the dull whistle was his only warning of the inbound  
projectiles.  
  
Mousse flicked the weapon up, deflecting the first dart, but  
the second one struck his upper arm. He winced in pain, and his grip  
lessened enough for the spear to finally be yanked from his grasp. As it  
flew out of his hands, the myopic Amazon tumbled to the ground.  
  
Wincing, he reached over and pulled the dart out of the cloth  
covering of his arm, finding himself unable to do much else at the  
moment. [Was there something in the dart?] he wondered.  
  
A very light *thump* was his only warning of someone landing  
beside him. A snap of his wrist sent the dart up at the general location  
he perceived the man to be, and was rewarded with the ping of it hitting  
metal and a short grunt from his adversary.  
  
Rolling away quickly, he sent a singular weighted wire flying  
out of his sleeve along the ground. With a twitch of his wrist, the line  
wrapped itself around the legs of his opponent. Mousse gave a quick tug  
to trip the other man up and slipped a sword out of his other sleeve,  
into his hand, and prepared to finish it once and for all.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Mousse froze while his sensei turned the light on his helmet  
on, forcing Mousse to squint and then replace his glasses. His eyes  
widened in fear when they finally adjusted to the scene.  
  
Fen Wu's clawed boot was mere centimeters above Mousse's  
throat, and the wire that he had launched was only wrapped around the  
other leg. If Mousse had given a quicker tug on that line, or if Fen Wu  
and simply dropped his leg, Mousse's throat would have been rendered a  
bloody mess.  
  
The near-sighted Amazon gulped as Fen Wu lowered the other foot  
to the ground, claws retracting into the boot, while untangling the wire  
from his other leg. By the expression on the bigger man's face, Mousse  
could tell he had screwed up badly. He accepted the hand from his sensei  
and stood.  
  
Fen Wu replaced his weapons and equipment into his own robe.  
"[What did you do wrong?]"  
  
Mousse sweatdropped in nervousness. "[I-I don't really know,  
Sensei. I thought I had you.]"  
  
"[Do not think!]" the weapons master reprimanded. "[This should  
be instinct! Your first mistake was going for the spear. For all you  
knew, it could've been coated with poison and your life would have been  
over right there. Never use an enemy's weapon! That's why you carry so  
many of your own!]"  
  
The old man sighed and regarded his student. "[And your second  
mistake is one that you tend to repeat. You lash out without thinking  
through the tactics in your mind. This will cause you to fail every  
single time! Your body should react on instinct and your mind should be  
several steps ahead. Your chain attack-]" he picked up the small wiry  
chain, "[-was ill-thought out. You assumed I landed on both feet, when I  
only landed on one. I could have crushed your neck when I first came  
down, but I held back to see what you would do.]"  
  
Mousse felt dejected. After all he had learned, it still seemed  
he couldn't ever reach the high plateau that his sensei expected of him.  
[No wonder Shampoo rejected me and Ranma beat me easily, I am a  
weakling.]  
  
"[Self-pity is unbecoming a warrior, Mu Tsu.]" Fen Wu's voice  
was enough to bring the other man's head back up.  
  
"[But I failed-]"  
  
"[It is only failure if you do not learn from it!]" Fen Wu  
practically yelled at his student. "[You are capable of planning in  
advance, which I surmise you did with that chain mail mesh you are  
wearing under your robe. That's why the dart wasn't able to release it's  
paralysis compound into you. Your weaponskill is excellent, nearly a  
match for my own, but you don't take full advantage of your body for  
other weapons, limiting it to your sleeves and occasionally your feet.]"  
  
Mousse looked up, perplexed. "[Sensei?]"  
  
"[You have potential, Mu Tsu, and that's why I spend my time  
training you. Your tactical thinking is better than most, but you only  
utilize it when planning for a fight, yet hardly ever when in the midst  
of one.]" The aged weapons master paused, then turned his back and began  
to walk away. "[Hopefully, you will correct that once you leave here.]"  
  
The confusion on Mousse's face only grew. "[Leave here? Are you  
through teaching me?]" When his teacher didn't stop or respond, the boy  
ran to catch up to him.  
  
"[There is very little I have left to teach you,]" Fen Wu  
stated, not looking at his student. "[By the end of the week, you will  
depart from here.]"  
  
As they walked back to the cabin, Mousse hoped his sensei would  
elaborate, but he would say no more, and the trip was made in silence.  
  
  
  
  
"Hello?" the nervous girl called out. "Oniichan? Are you in  
here?"  
  
Her two companions joined her inside, and together they scanned  
the darkened interior of the condemned office building. Yuri's call went  
unanswered while she squinted into the musty and spiderwebbed corridors.  
The walls were cracked, boards on the floor were broken and missing, and  
an unpleasant scent of erosion wafted past their noses.  
  
"Well, what now?" Ukyo asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust.  
"Are we even sure he came in here?"  
  
Yuri's face became determined and fierce. "I know my brother! I  
know he came in here!"  
  
Ukyo sighed. "But why? Yuri-honey, something about this doesn't  
make any sense!"  
  
"I don't know!" the young ninja girl practically shouted in an  
exasperated tone. "There must be some reason! Maybe he needs some help  
or something!" Picking a direction seemingly at random, the flustered  
girl took off down the darkened and frail hallway, scanning left and  
right for any sign of her wayward sibling.  
  
Ukyo glanced to Konatsu, who reflected her disconcerted and  
perplexed gaze. He shrugged in reply to her unasked question and the two  
took off after their runaway friend, the boards under their feet  
creaking and groaning in protest.  
  
"Yuri-sama!" Konatsu called out. "Please slow down!"  
  
The two companions caught up to the sprinting girl, but only  
after a long sprint. They each grabbed an arm, stopping her at a three-  
way hallway intersection.  
  
Yuri railed against her 'captors'. "Let me go!"  
  
"Not until you calm down!" Ukyo snapped at her.  
  
The tone of voice stopped the struggling girl and brought her  
head up. "But, we have to help-"  
  
"We know that already!" The chef told her, cutting the other  
girl off. "But running off half-cocked ain't gonna help anyone! Don't  
you think we want to find him, too?"  
  
The ninja girl sagged, and the other two released her. "I just  
can't lose any more of my family," she said so quietly it was nearly a  
whisper. She walked over to the wall and placed her forearm against it,  
resting her head against her arm. "It was my fault my family is dead. If  
I hadn't snuck out of the house that night, I would have been there and  
could have done something. And if I hadn't left my brother and grand-  
mother alone, he would still be here."  
  
"It is not your fault, Yuri-sama," Konatsu offered, laying a  
hand on her shoulder. "You cannot blame yourself. If you were with your  
family, you would have been burned alive as well, and Kenji-sama would  
have no one. Whatever killed Oka-sensei, would have killed you too, had  
you been there."  
  
Yuri sniffed. "Maybe." Her head came up. "But I just know he  
needs my help now. I can't explain it, it's just a feeling, but  
something terrible has happened to him and the longer we wait, the less  
chance we have to help him."  
  
"Okay, Yuri-chan," Ukyo replied, wrapping her arms across her  
chest and rubbing her shoulders to generate warmth from the chill of a  
passing breeze. "But we have to be careful. This doesn't feel right, and  
this building is old and weakened."  
  
As if on cue, the chef took a few steps backward and stepped on  
a section of flooring that was more rotted away that the rest. With a  
startled squawk, Ukyo plummeted into darkness as the wooden boards gave  
away.  
  
  
  
  
Despite her fatigued state, Selah nearly jolted out of her skin  
when she heard the obviously female scream. Trembling, she turned toward  
the abandoned building it came from, only to have to have her  
apprehension increase as she beheld the ruined and boarded structure,  
just barely visible in the starlight.  
  
The word 'Eerie' popped into her mind, yet she somehow knew  
they were in there. She wasn't scared, no, she was absolutely terrified.  
[But if Kenji-chan is in there...] The thought lingered in her head.  
  
Swallowing her nervousness and taking a deep breath, she  
quickly made her way to the ruined structure and put her hand on the  
door, whose hinges squealed with protest as she opened it. By now the  
scream had cut off, leaving her wondering what direction to go in.  
  
Grumbling to herself and trying to quell the fear that had  
returned, she picked a direction that felt like the scream came from and  
started walking.  
  
  
  
  
"Ukyo-sama!" "Ucchan!"  
  
Both ninja leapt forward in an attempt to grab the falling  
chef, but neither one was able to grab her before she disappeared into  
the darkness below. As they knelt at the edge of the darkened hole, they  
scanned for any sign of their fallen friend, but could see nothing.  
  
"I'm going down after her," Konatsu declared, getting ready to  
jump.  
  
A hand on his arm stopped him. "No, it's my fault she's in this  
mess. I'll go."  
  
"But Yuri-sama..." Konatsu stared into Yuri's worried, yet  
determined face, and acquiesced. "Very well."  
  
Unfortunately, neither one were able to take any further  
action, as a black blur shot out of the pit, it's path taking it right  
between the two teens. Yuri felt the blunt end of something strike the  
side of her neck, while Konatsu just barely managed to bring a hidden  
sai up to block the blade aimed for him. Still, the impact propelled him  
away for the mouth of the hole.  
  
As Konatsu stumbled back, Yuri toppled sideways, dazed from the  
strike with stars still dancing in her vision, and fell into the  
darkness below.  
  
"Yuri!" Konatsu cried, lunging for the girl, only to have his  
movement halted by the black blur that reformed itself into a black  
bodysuit-clad ninja. His opponent brought a slightly curved 16 inch  
blade up, holding it horizontally in front of his body.  
  
"If you want the girls," he spoke with an unnaturally rumbling  
voice, "you will have to go through me."  
  
The male kunoichi slowly withdrew the takemitsu from its sheath  
and held it up. "I will not let you have them!" Konatsu sprung forward  
and attacked, bringing the weapon around in an arc that would have  
struck his adversary's neck and disabled the man, had it not been  
knocked aside.  
  
Konatsu felt a fist find his ribs, driving the air from his  
lungs as his body folded over it. Then a backhand from the other fist  
aimed to practically take his head off. He barely managed to twist away,  
turning the blow into a glancing one, but it was still enough to send  
him stumbling drunkenly backward once more.  
  
A mistake, he realized. He didn't take his opponent seriously,  
thinking only of getting to the girls. At the edge of his vision, he  
detected movement approaching and he could hear the near-silent whisper  
of his enemy's blade coming for his throat. Mustering his concentration,  
he managed to bring up his own bamboo weapon and turn aside the thrust  
of his adversary's metal one, by striking with the flat of the blade.  
With a *thunk*, the metal sword lodged itself the plywood of the wall  
behind Konatsu, just barely missing his neck.  
  
Fully regaining his senses, Konatsu his other hand up, flicking  
his wrist and sliding the sai hidden in his sleeve into his fingers. He  
planted the butt end of the handle in his opponent's stomach, the blow  
shoving the other man away and forcing him to abandon his sword. Konatsu  
twirled, lashing out with his foot and striking several blows across the  
body of his enemy, sending him to the ground.  
  
A split second later, Konatsu was on him, the edge of his  
takemitsu resting against his enemy's throat. While not a sharp weapon,  
with the right skill he could easily cut the jugular out, turning it  
into a killing move.  
  
"Konatsu..." The downed ninja whispered in a now very familiar  
voice.  
  
The kunoichi's eyes widened, even while he grasped the top of  
the black mask and pulled it off, revealing a pained and very familiar  
face underneath. "Kenji-sama! Why?"  
  
The edges of Kenji's lips curved into a sneer. "Weakling...  
fool!"  
  
And that's when Konatsu realized he had made his second  
mistake, as he felt a hand place itself flat against his chest.  
  
Kenji spoke a single word. "Hitohuki."  
  
A powerful force shoved Konatsu upward, where he slammed into  
the ceiling. His head struck a thick wooden beam and shattered it, and  
as his vision began to fade out, his last sight was the sight of a face  
that was Kenji's, and yet was not, sneering at him.  
  
  
  
  
"That was a very poor performance," an old voice clucked from  
the darkened hallway. "He almost had you."  
  
"He got lucky," Kae spat, regaining her feet. Despite having a  
male body now, she still thought of herself as female. Her only  
consolation, was that she would be able to revenge herself on the one  
who imprisoned her in that hole. "Have you secured the two females?"  
  
"Of course. The drop wasn't that great and they were already  
unconsciousness when I captured them."  
  
Kae pulled her blade from the wall and walked over to the  
fallen boy's form, preparing to sever his head from his shoulders. "I  
shall kill him now."  
  
"Stop."  
  
The singular word froze Kae's body, despite all her attempts to  
move, and her eyes flashed several different shades of hate and menace.  
"Why did you stop me!? If you kill your enemies now, they cannot stop  
you later! And you have the two girls for hostages, already."  
  
Zhao Len emerged from the shadows, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, I  
will kill him later, but only when I have all of the ones responsible  
for my downfall together. Then, and only then, will they watch each of  
their friends die in turn."  
  
  
  
  
Selah flattened herself against the wall, hearing the tail end  
of the conversation. The two voices she heard were that of an old woman  
and Kenji, but the tone of the boy's voice she had such an infatuation  
for, was not what she remembered. It seemed... darker somehow, less  
forgiving and not as happy.  
  
[What's happened to him?] she wondered, her heart pumping so  
loud and fast, that she was sure the two just down the hall would hear  
it.  
  
The she heard the part about killing them, and her legs finally  
gave out, sending her sliding to the floor. Her last confrontation with  
death, had been when her mother and several others had made a rapid  
departure from their Tibetan village. Many homes were already on fire,  
and people were running around in confusion. During the exodus, she had  
seen several dead bodies, getting a first hand look at exactly what  
"death" was. When her mother told her that her father wasn't coming with  
them, the young girl made the connection of what had happened to her  
daddy.  
  
And now three of her friends were being scheduled to die, and  
she was powerless and too scared to do anything. After all, if Ukyo,  
Konatsu, and Yuri were all beaten, what could she possibly do?  
Especially since it looked like Kenji was the one responsible for it.  
  
The tears began to leak out once more. She was alone again,  
having been driven many miles from a place she had once called home. She  
had just come to think of the restaurant as a new temporary home while  
waiting for her mommy to return. But without the people who had taken  
her in there, it wouldn't be home any more, either.  
  
Zhao Len and Kae had already moved off, or else they might've  
heard the sobs of a young girl as she broke down, crying in fear,  
loneliness, and despair.  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo groaned as she awoke, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. The  
surface area she was laying on, was not as soft as she remembered. She  
figured she'd have to get Konatsu to re-fluff the futon and pillow  
later, right after she took some aspirin to kill the pounding  
jackhammers in her brain.  
  
Then she realized she hadn't fallen asleep. The uncomfortable  
position she was in, was due to the stone floor she was laying on and  
the steel manacles attached to her wrists and ankles. With that, the  
activities of... was it the night before? Only a few hours? Ukyo  
couldn't tell how long she'd been out. All she knew was that her head  
hurt like hell.  
  
She sat up as best she could, while getting a look at her  
surroundings. It appeared to be some sort of small cement cell, the  
manacles connected by a thick chain to the stone wall. The only light  
was cast by a single candle resting on a table in the center of the  
room, causing a myriad of shadows to dance on the walls.  
  
"Hello?" she called out hesitantly. "Anybody there? Konatsu-  
chan? Yuri-chan?" A feminine groan was her only response, leaving her  
wonder if it was Yuri or Konatsu. "Wake up!" she nearly yelled, trying  
to get the other prisoner awake without alerting her captors.  
  
"Come on, Ucchan, 'nother five minutes..." Yuri's voice mumbled  
from the cell next door.  
  
Ukyo sighed and counted silently to ten, before practically  
shouting Yuri's name.  
  
"Ahh! I'm up!" Yuri blinked while jerking upright. "Where am I?"  
She spied her current captive state, manacles restraining her movement.  
"What happened to me?"  
  
"You were taken prisoner, same as me," Ukyo told her, dryly.  
  
Yuri's head came up and she took a look at her surroundings.  
"Ucchan? Where's Konatsu? Is he with you?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head, then realized Yuri wouldn't be able to see  
that. "Sorry, sugar. I don't know what happened myself." She winced as  
the pounding in her brain intensified for a moment. "But I can promise  
you that when I find out who's responsible for this, they're gonna be in  
a world of hurt!" [And if I had my spatulas or flour bombs, or ANY of my  
weaponry, I could actually do something,] she didn't add.  
  
"Are you sure about that?" an old voice asked over the opening  
creak of a rusty door. Ukyo and Yuri observed a Cologne-like woman walk  
into the room, followed by a ninja in black.  
  
"Zhao Len!" Yuri exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Ukyo's eyes widened, not having actually seen the old woman,  
but hearing the name later. "You're that old ghoul that kidnapped Ran-  
chan and Akane-chan all those months ago!"  
  
The old ex-Amazon chuckled. "Guilty as charged."  
  
"What have you done with my brother!?" Yuri yelled.  
  
Zhao Len feigned innocence. "Why, my dear, what makes you think  
I did anything to him?"  
  
"I know he's here!" Yuri retorted. "Where is he!?"  
  
"You're in no position to make demands little girl!" the  
wrinkled old woman barked, then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "However,  
I think I can allow you to see his face once more, just to let you know  
who you'll have to kill to escape." She gestured to her silent  
companion, who removed his ebony mask.  
  
"Kenji!" Yuri gasped.  
  
Ukyo's mouth went dry. It was Kenji all right, but something  
about his face was wrong. His features were harder, eyes darker, and  
lips curved upward in a superior-looking smirk. Not at all an expression  
she was used to seeing on the boy's face.  
  
Kenji walked over to Yuri's cell and sneered at her through the  
bars. "Hiya, 'sis'. What do you think of your 'big brother' now, eh?  
Don't worry, I won't let anyone else lay a hand on you. Your death will  
come at my hand alone." He glanced over at Ukyo. "You, too. Zhao Len's  
being generous in allowing me your lives."  
  
"Why!?" Ukyo asked, her headache taking a backseat to her  
growing horror.  
  
The smile that appeared on his face was not kind at all.  
"Because I can. There's another reason, but I'll leave it a secret for  
now." He winked at them. "However, it is not yet time for you to die.  
You can have your lives for a little longer."  
  
"NO!!" Yuri screeched. "What have you done to him, you witch!?  
That's not my brother! You're controlling his mind again!"  
  
Zhao Len cackled again. "Oh, brilliant girl! Oh course I am,  
but not to the extent you think. He needed some... persuasion, but then  
we struck a deal. Your lives for his. He agreed quite readily."  
  
"WITCH!" Yuri forced herself to her feet and began to  
concentrate her wind energies.  
  
But before she could act, Kenji struck first, thrusting his  
palm outward and sending a forceful wind blast into Yuri's cell,  
slamming the girl into the stone wall behind her. She promptly crumpled  
to the floor when he let the attack off.  
  
"Stop it!" Ukyo cried. "Kenji, you IDIOT! Why are you doing that  
to your own sister!?"  
  
His eyes swung over to meet hers, and Ukyo felt a chill go down  
her spine at the dark depths in them. It appeared the normal silvery-  
gray in them had darkened considerably. "Why not? You see, I'm not Kenji  
anymore; I'm merely using his body. You're 'Kenji' is quite gone."  
  
"No..." came the choked and pained sob from Yuri's cell. "How  
can you use the wind? It's based on the desire to protect..."  
  
Kenji tsk'ed as he examined his fingernails. "Actually, it's  
just based on desire. If you want it to happen, it does."  
  
"Enough," Zhao Len commanded. "We must go. We have more plans to  
make. Do not think of using your wind tricks to escape, girl." She  
directed that last statement at the sobbing girl. "If you do, I will  
kill Konatsu."  
  
"What about me?" Ukyo asked, trying to infuse her voice with as  
much bravado as she could, and not entirely succeeding.  
  
Zhao Len snorted. "Don't me laugh. Without your weapons, you're  
a weak little girl, hardly a threat. Just a short-order cook is what you  
really are, only pretending to be a martial artist." She turned and  
headed for the door. "I suggest you make peace with whatever Japanese  
kami you believe in."  
  
With that, she left, Kenji following. Ukyo sighed and sat back  
against the wall, the sounds of Yuri's pained sobs drifting to her cell. 


	6. Chapter 6

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 6  
  
  
  
  
Light filtered in through several cracks in a boarded window,  
playing upon the young girl's skin from where she lay, curled into a  
fetal position. The warmth provided by the sun's early morning rays  
diffused itself into her body, and that was enough to pull her  
consciousness from sleep.  
  
Slowly, Selah yawned and stretched as she sat up. For a moment,  
she was disoriented as to where she was, then remembered what had  
happened. She had cried herself to sleep last night after Ukyo, Yuri,  
and Konatsu were captured, too scared to do anything else.  
  
This morning, however, she felt quite different. Maybe it was  
the combination of fatigue and fear she felt last night that knocked her  
out, but she wasn't fatigued anymore and she didn't feel as much fear,  
being that old buildings aren't as scary during the day. Or maybe it was  
the dream she could barely remember, something about Kenji, Yuri, Ukyo,  
and Konatsu asking for her help. That they would be goners unless she  
did something.  
  
Dragging herself to her feet, Selah resolved herself to do that  
something. What it was, she didn't know, but she had lost her home, her  
dad, and possibly her mom as well. She couldn't lose these people, that  
had been so nice to her, without putting up some sort of fight.  
  
Unfortunately, she didn't think she could take on the two that  
captured her friends, especially since one of them was Kenji who was  
acting strange for some reason, so she figured she would just find the  
others and help them escape. With any luck, she wouldn't run into the  
scary old woman.  
  
Of course, the first thing on the agenda was to find them. She  
hadn't a clue where they could be in this big house and she knew the  
longer she snuck around, the better the chance she was caught, so she  
figured on using another trick her mother had taught her. Sitting down,  
she closed her eyes and concentrated on finding bodies of water. Her  
mother had told her that the human body was mostly water, so if they  
were close enough, she should be able to sense where they were.  
  
Her consciousness wandered around the immediate area, then  
expanded farther on, until it discovered two small groups of water. They  
were faint, but at least she could sense them. She guessed the slightly  
bigger grouping was where her friends were, since the small old woman  
wouldn't have as much water in her. The group she figured was her  
friends, were underground, so Selah knew she'd have to look for stairs  
leading down.  
  
Standing once more, she snuck off down the hall, moving as  
quietly as a church mouse.  
  
  
  
  
Akane jogged around the small resort town, feeling better than  
she had in a long time. After that first night in the tent, they had  
moved on to the hot-spring resort where Ranma's parents had stayed on  
their honeymoon. He had enough money for three nights, all three had  
been wonderful. They were scheduled to head back later today, and Akane  
found that she would miss the peace and quiet, as well as the privacy  
that this location offered.  
  
[Who knows?] she wondered. [Maybe we can come back up another  
time?] She smiled at the thought, and blushed at the memory of the past  
few days. With Ranma, it seemed that all her fears about getting  
intimate with guys, just melted into nothingness. It was most likely  
because he was much like her, she realized. Both of them could be  
stubborn and prideful, and they tended to say what was on their mind.  
There was no real need to pretend anything when they were around each  
other.  
  
She wiped the sweat from her brow with the towel that was  
around her neck. Normally, she would be doing something with Ranma, but  
for some odd reason, she felt like she needed to get out this morning  
and jog by herself. Besides, Ranma was busy packing up their stuff and  
checking them out of the inn where they were staying.  
  
Turning a corner, Akane spied two guys up ahead on either dies  
of the path, leaning against a wall and a tree respectively. Something  
about them sent tingling flashes through her brain. In other words, her  
danger sense was doing it's job. She frowned and berated herself as she  
approached their location, knowing that she could easily handle two guys  
if they attempted something.  
  
When they stepped out and blocked her path, her danger sense  
felt validated.  
  
"Hiya girlie, what'cha doin' out so early?" the taller one  
asked, smiling at her. His clothes were dark and somewhat ragged.  
  
"Just joggin," Akane answered cautiously. "Now if you'll excuse  
me..."  
  
"Hey, hey!" the shorter and more rotund boy protested, blocking  
Akane's attempt to move around. "My friend was just tryin' to be nice.  
You just seem to be new around here, and we thought we could show you  
around."  
  
Akane frowned. "No thanks." She once again attempted to move  
around, only to find a third boy blocking her path, dressed similarly to  
the first two. Only this one was brandishing a long knife.  
  
"I don't think you understand," he told her. "It can be  
dangerous for young girls to run around unescorted."  
  
A quick glance behind her confirmed Akane's fear that five more  
youths had appeared. She was surrounded. She allowed a small grin to  
form on her face. "Young boys should run along home now." She slid into  
a attack stance. "That is, if they don't want to get hurt."  
  
A round of laughter greeted her pronouncement, and the short,  
rotund boy stepped forward to grab her arm. Akane responded by grabbing  
his, twisting it behind his back, and then slamming him into the wall.  
He slid to the ground. Akane felt a minor twinge, but shook it off.  
  
"That wasn't too smart," the guy who appeared to the leader told  
her. "Get her!"  
  
The raven-haired girl smiled grimly, remembering the schoolyard  
fights. After a few of those confrontations, she had gotten the hang of  
crowd control, using only enough force to take her attackers down, but  
not enough to cause permanent injury. Usually that amounted to just a  
single well-placed punch or kick.  
  
Akane turned aside the next attack, a swung lead pipe, and  
shoved it into a guy approaching from behind, then swung her leg out to  
take another boy in the head. Adrenaline pumping, Akane realized it had  
been awhile before she had been in a crowd control fight, and she found  
she missed it.  
  
Until she suddenly found her strength disappearing. Her next  
punch barely turned aside punk #4, and soon she found herself  
backpedaling, her legs rapidly losing the ability to support her body.  
Her sense of balance began to deteriorate, and when a fist made it past  
her guard and slammed into her stomach, she crumpled to the ground.  
  
One question echoed in her brain as blackness encroached on her  
peripheral vision: What was happening to her?  
  
  
  
  
"So, who's next?" Kae asked nonchalantly, sharpening her blade  
with a piece of flint as she reclined in a small wooden chair.  
  
Zhao Len finished securing the unconscious Konatsu to his own  
cell with tighter chains, then turned to face her now-suddenly more  
eager ally. "Change of heart? You seem to want to cooperate now. I  
wonder why that is..."  
  
Kae paused her sharpening and shot the old woman a dark look.  
"I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. I have other  
business to attend to." She didn't want to share the real reason, not  
wanting to reveal any hint of weakness. [Because, you old bag, I didn't  
realize exactly who your targets were. Had I known that those two girls  
are the ones Kenji cares for the most, I would have helped you from the  
start. Do you hear me, boy? I'm going to kill both of them with these  
two hands and there's nothing you can do about it.] Silence greeted that  
pronouncement, and Kae chuckled internally.  
  
"Is that the only reason?" Zhao Len asked curiously. Maybe she  
heard Kae's thoughts, maybe she didn't, but gave no sign either way.  
"After all, you're the one who wanted to personally end their lives."  
  
Kae snorted and brought her attention back to her weapon.  
"Maybe I do have my own reasons for wanting them dead, but you shouldn't  
care as long as they are dead."  
  
"True." The frail-looking woman turned and glanced momentarily  
at the heavy wooden door, where she knew the two girls were chained on  
the other side. "But in answer to your previous question, we're going  
after the Saotomes and Tendos next, and in particular I want Ranma  
Saotome and Akane Tendo. Then the Kunos after that, and finally we can  
kill all of them at once."  
  
Her companion raised an eye. "Oh? I would've thought you'd go  
after those two Amazons first."  
  
Zhao Len sighed. "I would have gone for Shan Pu and Mu Tsu, but  
the Nekohanten has been closed for quite awhile now with no sign they've  
been there in quite some time. I must assume they've returned to  
Joketsuzoku and are currently out of my reach."  
  
Kae held her curved wakizashu up to the light, then judged it  
sharp enough for now and returned it to its sheath. "Too bad for you."  
  
"Oh, I will have the means of getting to my former Amazons soon  
enough," she revealed with a small, secretive smile that revealed  
absolutely nothing. "Once I've finished my work here, I have allies who  
will assist me in that." [Provided Dormando keeps his end of the  
bargain. Once I get rid of theses kids here, he said he'd help me get  
control of the Amazons, provided I kept them out of anything he and his  
group might do.]  
  
The ninja shrugged, not really caring either way as long as she  
could kill the two girls, then revenge herself on the dark ones. She  
stood up, stretched, then head for the other door that led up the  
stairs. "Whatever, old woman. I'm going to get some rest for tonight."  
  
Zhao Len watched her temporary ally leave, knowing Kae wouldn't  
be able to go far as long as the old ex-Amazon held the enchanted ruby.  
She didn't follow, since at her age, she only needed a couple of hours  
sleep at most. Instead, she contemplated an Amazon future, where she  
controlled all of Joketsuzoku and all her enemies lay dead at her feet.  
  
  
  
  
Kodachi dabbed the moist cloth on the boy's forehead. He hadn't  
awakened since he crashed through her roof last evening, not that she  
had tried to wake him. She had some knowledge of first aid and could  
tell his condition wasn't life-threatening, so she just figured he must  
be worn out.  
  
Of course, the bruises and burns had probably taken their toll  
as well. Kodachi wondered where he got those, as some of them looked  
pretty nasty. Still, once she cleaned them and treated what she could  
with the first aid kit, she couldn't help but admire his toned physique.  
It was obvious he was a martial artist, or at least some sort of  
athlete, since she could feel the muscles in his arms.  
  
She also continued to wonder about the circumstances that  
caused him to plummet naked into her private furo. She did find a pack  
containing a set of clothes consisting of a purple vest and bracers, as  
well as a set of black slacks. They were worn and dirty from what she  
guessed was a lot of travel on the road, so she had them cleaned and  
mended.  
  
Beyond that, all she could do was wait for him to awaken. No  
one else knew he was here. Well, Sasuke probably did, with his habit of  
keeping an eye on the goings on in the house, but she kept her brother  
ignorant. True, their relationship had progressed some in the days  
following her recovery, but they still couldn't be considered 'close',  
even though all they had was each other.  
  
Kodachi sighed and stood up, adjusting her kimono before  
striding across her room. Yes, it was her room she was keeping to  
strange boy in, but it was the only place she could think to keep him so  
her brother wouldn't find out.  
  
Stopping at her dresser, she picked up a picture frame. The  
photograph enclosed, was one of her family taken many years ago. Gently,  
she let her fingers run across the portraits of herself, her brother,  
father, and mother. She was currently rediscovering both herself and her  
brother, her knowledge of each being obscured by false and twisted  
memories and behaviors.  
  
Of her father, there was still no word. Once, she had looked up  
to him, though she knew her brother had not. She even cared for him,  
after a fashion, and so wanted to see him again. A search had been  
initiated, but so far there had been no results  
  
The last face puzzled her the most. Of the four, she knew her  
mother the least. All she could pull of her memories, were fleeting  
images and feelings of kind woman who's warm smile always made her feel  
better. Her disappearance had hurt Kodachi terribly and created a hole  
in her life that she had tried to fill ever since, more so when her  
father left as well.  
  
"Okasan..." she whispered, letting her gaze fall once more upon  
the face of the woman in the picture that was practically a stranger to  
her, and yet was not. Outwardly, Kodachi hated her mother for her  
abandonment, but there was still a small part of the young girl that  
desperately wanted to see her mother again.  
  
"I wish you would return and teach me more," she said absently.  
  
Her brow furrowed at that. [Teach me what?] Images flashed  
through her mind as she tried to narrow down where that thought came  
from. The most prominent image being a black leotard. [Rhythmic  
gymnastics?] That almost seemed right, but not quite.  
  
Giving in to a sudden impulse, Kodachi set the picture down and  
ran out of her room, heading for the basement. The mansion had been  
rebuilt with nearly the same specifications as before, but one part that  
hadn't changed, was the basement. Except for the section that contained  
the statue of Galfgar, the new house was built right on top of the old  
foundation and basement.  
  
Now in that cellar, Kodachi looked right and left, wondering  
which way to go. The right hallway was filled in, and that was the  
direction to the room that was best left buried. To her left, wound some  
stairs that headed further down to a library that was mostly cleaned out  
now, the books having been removed by her brother and Nabiki Tendo for  
study. Straight ahead, was an all purpose storage room behind a thick  
oaken door.  
  
Nodding to herself in confirmation, Kodachi went for the  
storage room, grasping the iron ring that was the door's handle and  
giving a mighty tug. With a weak groan, the door allowed itself to be  
opened and the youngest Kuno stepped inside.  
  
The inside was pretty much as she expected it to be, a fairly  
large room with boxes and crates of old stuff the Kuno's had collected  
over the years. Most of it was junk, though some of it could still have  
some use. But the stuff packed away was not what she was after, which  
was good because if what she sought was in there, it would have taken  
her a long time to find it.  
  
She strode purposefully across the room, wading through the  
boxes and, in some cases, crawling over them until she reached the back  
wall. [Now, it's here somewhere, I know that,] she thought to herself.  
[But exactly what am I looking for?]  
  
She closed her eyes as a vague memory floated back to her...  
  
"See this, Dachi?" her mother was telling her. "When I am gone,  
this will be yours." She indicated the open chest and revealed the  
objects contained within.  
  
Young Kodachi realized they were similar to her own gymnastics  
equipment. Almost, but not quite. "Momma?"  
  
"Remember, it will be here," she told her daughter, then closed  
the chest and placed it in the hole of the stone wall, covering it with  
a large stone brick. The gray block of stone matched the wall perfectly,  
and it's location was nigh unnoticeable in the backdrop of the rest of  
the stone wall.  
  
She then turned back to Kodachi and placed a hand on her  
forehead. "Remember."  
  
Twelve years later, Kodachi Kuno remembered.  
  
Fingering the mortar between the stone bricks in the back wall  
of the storage room, she traced around several them, looking for that  
singular loose block. It took her several minutes, but eventually she  
found it, laughing to herself as she heaved and pulled it out of it's  
place in the wall.  
  
She glimpsed inside the darkened alcove and put her hand in,  
grabbing and pulling out the 2x2 foot wooden chest that he mother placed  
there long ago. Nearly trembling at the contact of her mother's  
heirloom, Kodachi managed to unlatch the chest and open it, powerful  
emotions pounding through her body.  
  
The sound of ancient and rusted metal creaking in protest as it  
was abused after a decade of neglect, echoed in the storage room,  
followed by a sharp intake of breath.  
  
  
  
  
"AKANE!"  
  
Ranma tore into the remaining boys like a an out-of-control  
tornado, but with considerably more force. A minute ago he was struck by  
a very strange and very bad feeling, and he tore out of the inn in an  
hurry, leaving the packs behind. He couldn't explain how, but he had  
just felt Akane's presence and knew exactly which direction to run. He  
arrived just as Akane went down.  
  
In less then ten seconds it was all over, and Ranma was  
carrying his shaking wife back to the inn.  
  
  
  
  
Selah swallowed nervously, willing her herself as still as  
possible and hoping the darkness hid her presence. A short while ago,  
the short and scary old woman had passed near her position, a dozen  
yards away. For a minute, the young girl could swear the old witch knew  
she was there, but then the withered hag continued on as if nothing had  
happened.  
  
Her body stayed frozen for the next ten minutes, terror and  
nervousness commanding her small frame. Eventually, her thundering heart  
slowed a little as the paralyzing fear wore off, leaving only the normal  
fear behind. When she finally had control again, she wondered for the  
thousandth time why she was doing this.  
  
[Because I have to be brave,] she shakily told herself, trying  
to convince herself to not run away. Slowly, she inched down the hallway  
from where the old woman had come from, a small bit of logic in her  
subconscious informing her that was the direction to go. [Momma told me  
to be brave and I've let her down enough. My friends need me.]  
  
So determined, but still trembling, Selah crept as quietly as  
she could down the darkened hallway, her mind conjuring up plenty of  
demons and scary creatures to occupy every single shadow. She swallowed  
nervously once more and forced her thoughts back to the task at hand.  
  
It wasn't long before the path brought her to a rotted doorway,  
the planks of the wooden door barely hanging on to its hinges. The young  
girl took a deep breath and grasped the handle, taking a minute to  
listen to her surroundings, but not detecting anything. Thinking it  
safe, she pulled it open.  
  
The hinges protested the unfair treatment as they were worked  
and Selah froze, immediately thinking the sound loud enough to have  
alerted everyone in the building. But after several pained moments where  
nothing happened, she quietly slipped inside.  
  
  
  
  
Gazing out the second floor window, Zhao Len frowned, having  
been sensing something amiss for awhile but not knowing exactly what.  
Kae was sleeping in one of the spare rooms, so it couldn't have been her  
unusual and unwilling ally.  
  
Mumbling to herself, she turned and walked away.  
  
  
  
  
"Master Kuno, please hurry!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Sasuke," Tatewaki commanded as his ninja  
manservant pulled him along, only to stop in front of the closed dojo  
door. "What be so important as to incite such haste?"  
  
The diminutive man didn't answer, but just stood nervously  
facing the door. In the sudden silence, Kuno heard what had alarmed his  
servant.  
  
Yells and thumps echoed from the room, followed by a strange  
whistling sound, three pings of metal on wood, and the crack of a whip.  
  
"Oh ho ho ho!" came the familiar laugh, as well as the sound of  
wood striking wood, fast and repeatedly.  
  
Tatewaki frowned, not expecting to hear that laughter again,  
but divided on the subject. On one hand, it meant his sister was getting  
better, enough to laugh again. Of course, that laugh usually meant she  
was up to more demented tricks. [She couldn't have fallen back into her  
old self so soon, could she?]  
  
"Imoutosan?" he called tentatively. "Are you alright?"  
  
She didn't respond right away, as the sound of several things  
shattering like glass could be heard would have covered any reply. Then,  
"Is that you, oniisan?"  
  
"Are you well, Dachi?" he asked, placing a hand on the door to  
open it. "I'm coming in."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Kodachi's command froze the kendoist for a few seconds, while  
the sounds of padded feet could be heard running around inside. When he  
resolved himself to open the shoji panel that was the door once more, it  
opened on it's own, much to his surprise. The other side revealed his  
sister, dressed in a midnight black leotard and carrying a matching  
duffel bag. She was covered with a fine sheen of sweat, but grinning  
like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.  
  
"Dachi?" Tatewaki asked again.  
  
Surprising him once more, Kodachi swept her brother up in a big  
hug. "Oh Tatchi, I feel wonderful!" She twirled him once, set him down,  
then took bounding leaps across the courtyard to her room, leaving her  
brother's eyes bulging behind her. "Oh ho ho ho!"  
  
For several long seconds, both kendoist and manservant gawked  
after the obviously-jubilant girl. Then, as one, they turned to glimpse  
the interior of the dojo in the hopes of finding a clue as to the change  
in her attitude and temperament.  
  
Nothing was untouched, as nicks and chips covered the walls and  
ceilings of the dojo, leaving small wood chips on the ground. Two of the  
walls had a couple dozen small circular holes punched in them. Several  
one meter high logs had been stood upright in the center of the room,  
with the broken remains of pottery scattered around them.  
  
All except for one in the exact center, on top of which rested  
in a small vase containing a singular black rose.  
  
  
  
  
"Konatsu-chan!" Selah gasped as she beheld the young man laying  
chained on the ground. Getting no response, she rushed over to him,  
feeling relieved when she found him still breathing.  
  
She shook him. "Konatsu-chan, wake up!" When he didn't respond,  
she shook him harder, then concentrated and a sent a splash of cold  
water into his face.  
  
Konatsu sputtered and bolted upright. "I shall prepare the  
ingredients at once, Ukyo-sama!" He stopped and blinked then turned to  
see the mingled amusement, fear, and relief on Selah's face. "Selah-  
sama, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Trying to rescue you, what does it look like!" she told him in  
an exasperated voice, then collapsed against him, letting a few tears  
leak out. "I was so worried and scared! You guys took off and then I  
hear a scream and see Kenji only he looked scary and I was so scared and  
I didn't know what to do!"  
  
Konatsu tried to wrap his arms around the small, shaking girl  
as best he could to comfort her, only the tight chains and manacles  
attached to his wrists and ankles severely limited his movement. "Calm  
yourself, Selah-sama. We must rescue the others. There will be time for  
tears later. You were to brave to come here after us. Now you must be  
brave enough to help me save Yuri-sama and Ukyo-sama."  
  
Selah pulled back and sniffed once, wiping her nose and drying  
her eyes. "I will. I promise I'll be brave."  
  
The male kunoichi smiled. "That is better." He tested his  
chains. "I do not suppose you happen to have a key?" Selah shook her  
head and Konatsu sighed, then appeared to study her wavy blue hair.  
"Then could you lend me one of your hair pins, please?"  
  
Confused, Selah did as he asked, relieved to have someone with  
her and in control of the situation. She watched avidly as he jiggled  
the lock with the thin metal piece, until a click caused the manacles to  
open and fall away.  
  
"You're not thinking of going anywhere now, are you?"  
  
Selah's tentative smile transformed back into a frightened and  
horrified stare as Zhao Len stepped into the room, her gnarled staff  
pointed in their direction.  
  
Konatsu leapt to his feet. "Stay behind me, Selah-sama! I shall  
deal with her!"  
  
The old woman cackled. "You may try, boy. But you will fail."  
  
"Where are my friends!?" Konatsu demanded, slowly approaching  
Zhao Len.  
  
"If you can best me, I shall tell you," was all she said, before  
springing forward, the sharp end of her staff aiming to put a hole in  
Konatsu' s chest.  
  
He leapt back to avoid it, bounding off the wall and coming  
back with a mid-level sweep kick that would have launched the old woman  
out the door, had she not blocked it with her staff.  
  
"Selah-sama!" Konatsu called as he was flipped away, his leg  
flaring in pain for an instant. "Go find Ukyo and Yuri! I shall keep her  
busy!"  
  
"But--" Selah protested, seeing the ninja not fairing too well  
against his opponent.  
  
"GO!" he yelled, engaging Zhao Len at close range in a series of  
high-speed strikes and parries.  
  
The command spurred the young girl into action, and she ran to  
the door at the opposite end of the room from where she came in,  
throwing it open and fleeing down the hallway.  
  
As she ran, the old woman's taunting voice echoed to her.  
"That's right little girl, run! Run away so I can kill this whelp!"  
  
Selah froze, the threat pounding in her brain. Twice she had  
fled before, and twice she had lost people close to her. The first time  
was when she fled her home in China with her mother. The second was when  
she fled from her mother to come to Nerima. And both times, she never  
saw either parent again.  
  
Somehow she knew, that if she ran away this time, it would be  
Konatsu who would pay the price. Despite the terror she felt about  
confronting the old woman, she knew she couldn't let Konatsu be the one  
to pay the price for her this time.  
  
Steeling her trembling form, she turned and ran back to the  
room, only to witness Zhao Len send Konatsu through a rotted wooden wall  
with a thrust from the blunt end of her staff. The old woman leapt  
through to follow up, and Selah sprinted after, climbing through the  
hole in time to see a dazed Konatsu barely able to fend off the next  
series of attacks.  
  
"Konatsu!" two familiar female voices shrieked in unison.  
  
"Yuri-chan, Ukyo-san!" Selah called, seeing the two girls  
chained in separate cells next to each other.  
  
"Selah-chan, what the hell are you doing here!?" Ukyo started in  
surprise.  
  
Before she could answer, Yuri called, "Konatsu, look out!"  
  
All three girls turned to where the fight had back Konatsu into  
a corner. So far, he had been managing to hold his own, his natural  
talent and skill carrying him, but Zhao Len was older and wiser. She was  
also, thank to her many years of training, a much better fighter.  
  
Konatsu found his legs swept out from underneath him while a  
blow from the staff struck his head and sent him tumbling to the ground.  
Sensing her impending victory, the ancient ex-Amazon thrust the pointed  
end of the staff towards her opponent's throat.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Amazingly, the old woman halted with the command, the tip  
resting against the boy's windpipe. Out of the corner of her right eye,  
she could see the young girl who had given the command, holding up her  
hands and trembling. Yet, she could also see a fierce determination in  
the girl's eyes.  
  
"Don't hurt him!" Selah ordered in a trembling voice. "Or else!"  
  
"Selah, RUN!" Ukyo screamed. "She too dangerous for you!"  
  
Zhao len cracked a wicked smile. "Or else what, little girl?  
What do you think you can do?"  
  
"This!"  
  
The old woman's sneer turned into startled surprise as a large  
geyser of water burst forth from Selah's hands, and Zhao Len barely had  
time to put up a ki-barrier as the wall of water swept her off Konatsu  
and pinned her against the stone wall, instead of crushing her against  
it.  
  
"Selah, you have to get out of here and go get help!" Ukyo  
pleaded.  
  
"No!" the water mage countered. "I have to do this! I have to!  
Konatsu, get up!" The male kunoichi managed to shake off his dazed  
stupor and sit up. "I'll hold her off so you can go and get help. This  
time, I'll be the one to save you!"  
  
"But, Selah-sama-"  
  
"Please!" Selah begged. "I can't keep this up for long!"  
  
"You little witch!" came the shriek from the other end of the  
horizontal geyser. She was focusing all her ki and just barely managing  
to avoid being crushed by the forceful hydro-blast.  
  
Konatsu spared a glance at all the women in the room, then came  
to the conclusion that Selah was right, however much he didn't like it.  
He had admitted to himself he couldn't beat the old woman right now,  
lacking weaponry and still dazed and weak from his encounter with Kenji.  
  
They were going to need help if any of them were to get out of  
this, and Selah had provided the only opportunity.  
  
"I am sorry," Konatsu stated, full of remorse. " I shall  
return."  
  
"If you don't return in an hour, I will kill all the girls!"  
came the screech from the end of the water blast.  
  
"Konatsu!" Yuri called out to him, straining against her bonds.  
  
The ninja turned to her from the doorway, his face full of  
determination. "I promise, Yuri-sama! I will come back for you!" Then he  
was gone.  
  
"Baka, you were supposed to call me 'Yuri-chan'," the female  
ninja said softly and sadly, after he had gone.  
  
Selah breathed a sigh of relief as Konatsu left, then the  
strain of keeping up her attack, as well as the increasing lack of  
moisture in the air to draw from, caused the waterspout to die off.  
  
Instantly, Zhao Len was upon her and Selah collapsed  
unconscious into the old woman's arms. "Well now, that was rather  
surprising. Who would have thought a little girl like this would have  
such power." She chuckled. "She would have made a fine Amazon."  
  
"Let her go!" Ukyo pleaded. "She never did anything to you! It's  
us you want, right?"  
  
Zhao Len chuckled again. "And after the trouble she went  
through of exchanging herself for the freak ninja boy? I think not." She  
slung the young girl over her shoulder, and proceeded to walk out of the  
room, turning a deaf ear to both Ukyo and Yuri's pleas.  
  
In the room where Konatsu was originally tied up, she found  
someone waiting for her.  
  
"You let him escape," Kae said nonchalantly from where she  
leaned against the wall.  
  
Zhao Len dropped the girl and proceed to tie her up with a  
simple rope. "Of course. I had originally planned to let him escape.  
This girl just helped that along. I admit, she did surprise me, though."  
  
Kae shrugged. "He will come back, and when he does, he will not  
be alone."  
  
"And that is the point, after all." The ex-Amazon finished  
securing Selah. "He will bring both the Saotome boy and the Tendo girl,  
and maybe the Kunos if we're lucky, and then I will have everyone I  
need. It matters not how many. I hold the hostages and I dictate the  
battlefield. In short, I hold all the advantages." She turned a sharp  
eye towards the possessed boy. "You need only be ready to help."  
  
"Of course. As long as I get to kill the two girls in there, and  
you set me free after this, it doesn't matter to me what you want."  
  
Zhao Len nodded and grinned. "That is our bargain." 


	7. Chapter 7

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 7  
  
  
  
  
Konatsu sprang silently and swiftly across the rooftops, each  
of the girls' last expressions still haunting him. From the strain on  
little Selah's face as she tried to keep the water attack up, to Ukyo's  
worried visage knowing she was helpless to do anything, to Yuri's  
terrified gaze, fearful he wouldn't return.  
  
He had to return, he just had to, and he needed to get as much  
help as quickly as possible. He wasn't about to let Selah's actions be  
in vain. The only question was where to go, but really there was only  
one place.  
  
The Tendo Dojo.  
  
Through all the chaos and battles and dangers they had faced,  
this structure stood, serving both as a meeting place and a  
battleground. It also housed both the Tendos and the Saotomes, two  
families of martial artists.  
  
Though he had heard the Saotomes had moved back into their old  
house, he had also learned that Ranma had been allowed to stay at the  
dojo until his marriage to Akane, which had happened several days ago.  
Also, the two parent Saotomes had been known to visit from quite  
frequently as well.  
  
With the Amazons gone, he couldn't think of anyone else who  
might be able to help.  
  
He just hoped Ranma and Akane had returned.  
  
  
  
  
Soun Tendo studied the board for the umpteenth time, but for  
once, his mind was not on the game. The marriage ceremony, and it's  
preparation, had been a nice distraction from his own problem, but now  
that it was over and things had quieted down, his dilemma had returned.  
  
Sensing his old friend was growing impatient, the Tendo  
patriarch reached out and picked up an apparently random piece, a pawn,  
and moved it one space foreword. These days, it seemed, his only joys  
were these never-ending games he played with his oldest friend. Though,  
in the past couple of months, he had found someone else who was fun to  
spend time with.  
  
Genma immediately reached out and took advantage of Soun's  
error, moving a rook three paces. "Checkmate!" he declared proudly,  
finally pronouncing the words he knew he would utter eventually when he  
won. Seeking to gloat over his latest win, he was instead troubled by  
the expression on his friend's face. "Tendo? Are you alright?"  
  
"Huh?" Soun's face came up, his hand ceasing it's stroking of  
his mustache. "Oh, uh sorry there, Saotome. Looks like you win again. Ha  
ha ha!" His right hand came to rest against the back of his head while  
he attempted to laugh his loss away.  
  
Genma sat back and folded his arms across his chest after  
pushing his glasses up. "You can't fool me, Tendo. Something's been  
bothering you. You're hardly a challenge at all these days."  
  
"Why, whatever do you mean, Saotome?" Soun asked innocently,  
hoping to avoid talking about his it.  
  
Genma sighed, knowing a little about what was bothering his old  
friend. "Kimiko was a good woman, Tendo. But she would not have wanted  
you to stay single forever if another woman caught your eye."  
  
Soun stiffened, then turned on the verandah to look outside,  
presenting his profile to the man sitting across from the board. In the  
sky, the sun had reached it's apex, and was now starting on its way back  
down. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly,  
frowning.  
  
Genma matched the frown with his own, hoping this would go  
easier that it appeared to be going. In the past couple of months, he  
had noticed Soun spending time with that teacher from Furinken. A  
gorgeous, curvy woman who appeared to have her own interest in his old  
training partner.  
  
And Genma was thankful for that, as lately he had been spending  
more time with his own wife, rediscovering the love he had once shared  
with her. It wasn't easy, and they still weren't back to normal, but  
progress was appearing to be made. This meant less time to spend with  
Soun.  
  
But what he didn't know, was why Soun had cut off all contact  
with the teacher, making no effort to get in touch with her. And she  
hadn't called the dojo either. Had they broken up without his knowing  
about it? Had Soun called it off because of his devotion to his dead  
wife?  
  
Genma thought it was the latter, and was trying to help his  
friend rediscover the happiness of love he himself was rediscovering.  
"Why don't we call and invite Hinako-san over for dinner, tonight?" he  
suggested, demonstrating the legendary Saotome tact his son had  
inherited.  
  
"No!" Soun blurted. "I mean, Kasumi has already started dinner  
and I'm sure she didn't plan for an extra person."  
  
Genma sighed, but any reply was cut off as a blur shot over the  
Tendo compound wall and resolved itself into a dark red bodysuit wearing  
ninja. The figure was kneeling before the two men, it's forehead bowed  
low enough to touch the ground.  
  
"Saotome-sama, Tendo-sama, I respectfully beg your assistance!"  
Konatsu spouted in a rushed, yet respectful, tone. "My friends have been  
captured and I need your help to free them!"  
  
Soun, grateful for the relief from his friend's probing,  
reached down pulled Konatsu up to a sitting position. "No need for  
kneeling, boy. Please, calm down and tell us what happened."  
  
As quickly as he could, the young kunoichi summed up the  
situation, then asked "Is Ranma-sama and Akane-sama her as well? I fear  
we may need their help as well. The old woman, Zhao Len, is highly  
skilled and whatever else has happened to Kenji-sama, has made him quite  
deadly as well."  
  
Genma coughed once to clear his throat. "I'm afraid Ranma and  
Akane are still on their honeymoon. They were scheduled to return today,  
though I don't know when. If the situation is as bad as you say, then  
waiting for their return is out of the question. However, if the three  
of us go now, we might stand a chance."  
  
Soun nodded. "Quite right, Saotome. Three vs. two makes for  
better odds. And if we can free the captives, we could increase those  
odds enough to obtain victory."  
  
"Going out, father?" Kasumi asked as she stepped into the room.  
  
"I'm afraid so, Kasumi," he replied, standing up and stretching.  
"Something has come up. If we are not back for dinner, you and Nabiki  
should go ahead and eat without us."  
  
"Ready for action, Tendo?" Genma asked, finishing his own  
stretching to loosen his muscles.  
  
Soun nodded. "If it's just the three of us, then let's go!"  
  
Genma grunted acknowledgment, and the two older men followed  
close behind Konatsu as he took off over the wall.  
  
  
  
  
[No, not just three,] Nabiki thought to herself where she stood  
at the top of the stairs. She had overheard the entire conversation, and  
a part of her was worried. She had heard about this Zhao Len when Ranma  
and Akane had talked about her, and knew the old woman was as crafty and  
dangerous as Cologne. She was worried that her dad and Uncle Saotome  
wouldn't be up to the task.  
  
[If only Ranma were here,] she thought morosely. But he wasn't,  
and worrying about that wasn't going to help. It was also too bad that  
Natsume and Kurumi had picked that morning to head out for a three-day  
training trip, visiting a dojo to the west where they had once trained  
for a few months.  
  
What would help, was getting reinforcements and soon.  
Unfortunately, there were only a couple of other people she could think  
of, and she wasn't sure they would be much help. But any help was better  
than none.  
  
For a minute, she suddenly swayed, bracing herself against the  
wall as the call came to her again, and she fought her body's attempts  
to move. "Stop it!" she hissed, and to her relief, it did.  
  
It had been happening more frequently now, and it scared the  
hell out of her each time. She knew the blade was calling her, from  
where it rested in the dojo storeroom. Usually it felt just like a low-  
level pull, but over a week ago it had practically been screaming at  
her. That was when Genma, Soun, and Nodoka had gone to help with the  
disturbance at the Nerima mental ward.  
  
If there was one thing Nabiki hated, it was being controlled,  
and this sword seemed to have that ability on her. It had been like that  
ever since she used it to freeze those two gremlins a couple of months  
ago. The pull had been growing stronger, too, by invading her dreams  
with such intensity that she frequently woke up in a cold sweat to the  
near silent call of the siren song.  
  
"I am not a martial artist!" she declared hotly in a low voice.  
"And I have no desire to be one, either." To her, the day Nabiki Tendo  
had to win a battle with brawn instead of brain, was the day she gave up  
on money and became a nun. One after another, she had seen the  
encounters her baby sister and Ranma got into, all because they  
preferred fighting with their fists.  
  
But she instinctively knew all that would go away once she  
touched the sword again, just like last time. No control and no  
prerogative, except to fight until her opponents were defeated or dead,  
and she wasn't so enthusiastic about that last option.  
  
Shaking herself and applying her own calming techniques, Nabiki  
dropped back into total control and the siren song dimmed to mere  
ignorable whisper. With that, she hopped down the stairs, grabbed her  
jacket, and bolted out the door, knowing time was of the essence.  
  
  
  
  
He awoke.  
  
"Hello, how are you feeling?" Kodachi asked as her patient  
finally regained consciousness.  
  
Pantyhose Taro froze, as his gaze met that of the girl in the  
dark blue kimono kneeling beside the bed. His eyes then rapidly flicked  
around the room, a girl's bedroom he noted with chagrin. "Where am I?"  
he demanded to know. "How did I get here?!"  
  
"In my room of course," Kodachi told him. "Don't you remember?"  
  
Taro tried to recall. [I was fighting that fireball chick  
again; why did she attack me? I was hit, I fell.] The memories got more  
vague at that point, but he remembered hitting hot water, then looking  
up to see a good-looking girl. A good looking _naked_ girl. Taro's hand  
flew to his nose in an attempt to stifle the developing nosebleed.  
  
Then it hit him.  
  
The girl looking at him now WAS that same girl. He was in her  
bed. He was naked. She was naked last time he saw her. "Oh God..." Taro  
gaped as his eyes widened. He sat up and backed away from her, wrapping  
the blanket around his mid-section. "I didn't... you didn't... and I  
don't even remember it! AAUUGGHHH!"  
  
Kodachi blinked, not understanding what his problem was. "Are  
you alright?"  
  
Taro's thoughts were in a whirlwind. [My first time and I don't  
remember it! I was never able to get past giving my name to a girl, and  
now I've gone all the way! Okay, be calm, be cool. You are handsome,  
what girl wouldn't want you?] He stopped fidgeting and gave her a  
confident smile. [She just couldn't help herself. Yeah, that's it. Maybe  
if I just don't give her my name, we can... no, that will never work!  
I'll just charm her and maybe she'll be up for seconds. Great plan!]  
  
Kodachi blinked again as the strange youth blurred across the  
room and held her hand, his eyes meeting hers, blanket still wrapped  
around his mid-section.  
  
"So, how shall I show my gratitude for your assistance?" Taro  
tried to say in as suave a tone as he could muster. "I know, how about a  
kiss?"  
  
"I beg your par-mmmpph!"  
  
Kodachi started as he locked his lips with hers in a clumsy  
attempt at a kiss, then her eyes narrowed as she reached behind her  
back.  
  
*WHAM!*  
  
Kodachi seethed and put the mallet away as the boy folded,  
unconscious, to the ground. "Of all the nerve! I am not that kind of  
woman!" [At least, not anymore,] she amended to herself. She then sighed  
and realized he would know be out for the rest of the night.  
  
Frustrated, she stood up and tightened her sash, sorely tempted  
to toss him out right now. Absently, her hand went to her lips. It WAS  
the first time a boy had kissed her, and it wasn't too bad, and he was  
good-looking, and maybe...  
  
Kodachi killed that line of thought right there, definitely not  
ready to deal with it. Her ears picked up the sound of a doorbell, and  
decided to shelve the current issue to see who was at the door.  
  
  
  
  
Sasuke blinked in mild surprise at the person waiting for him  
at the gated entrance to the Kuno mansion. "Tendo-san, are you here to  
see Master Kuno? Please, come in and I will fetch him for you."  
  
Nabiki allowed herself to be escorted into the foyer. "Please,  
be quick. I have urgent business to discuss."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
The Kuno manservant bowed, disappeared in a puff of smoke, and  
Nabiki smiled slightly at the retreating coughing noise. [Konatsu, you  
aren't,] she thought wryly. [But you and Kuno-baby'll have to do.]  
  
She didn't have to wait long.  
  
Tatewaki's voice preceded his entrance. "What brings thee here  
this night?" he asked in a carefully-guarded and neutral tone.  
  
He hadn't seen her much since the Christmas party, as she had  
apparently no wish to see him. He hadn't needed her services much  
anymore, since he no longer bought pictures or information on either  
Akane or the pig-tailed girl, whom he now knew to be Ranma. Also, he was  
content to let her manage the house's investments on her own.  
  
Nabiki sighed. This was not going to be as easy as she thought.  
"Look, I'll give it to you straight. My dad and Saotome-san just left to  
help a few of our friends who were captured by Zhao Len. You remember  
her? She's the one who kidnapped Ranma, Akane, and Kenji and drew you  
all into that battle with the Amazons you nearly lost."  
  
"Preposterous!" Kuno snorted, the famous ego seemingly making a  
comeback. "The Blue Thunder was never in danger! Everything was in  
hand."  
  
"Riiiight," Nabiki drawled, but decided not to argue that point.  
"Listen, we could use your help as well. From the information I've  
gathered, this Zhao Len could be at least as dangerous as, if not  
moreso, than Cologne. And from what I understand, she's mind controlling  
Kenji again, only he's more dangerous somehow."  
  
Tatewaki raised an eyebrow. "We? I hardly think thy family  
desires my presence, Tendo Nabiki."  
  
Nabiki sighed heavily. "Alright, you got me. It's just me; I'd  
feel better if you were there. I figure you can help me get in and  
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah while my dad, Saotome-san, and Konatsu keep  
the old witch and Kenji busy."  
  
"So, you do nee-"  
  
"Yes, I do, for now," Nabiki replied, cutting him off. She poked  
his chest with her finger, giving Kuno a hard glare that was enough to  
kill the smile that had begun to form on his face. "But let's get one  
thing straight: You're still a pompous, arrogant moron. You're right  
that my family still isn't too thrilled to see you, after all you've put  
my sister and Ranma through. You still haven't outgrown your two-timing  
ways either."  
  
Tatewaki frowned. "You have a most peculiar way of convincing a  
possible ally to fight for you, Tendo Nabiki."  
  
"But," Nabiki continued in a slightly softer tone. "You are a  
decent martial artist who's even given Ranma a challenge at times.  
You're right, I do need you right now. Also, when you went with everyone  
else to save my sister and Ranma from the Amazons, that went a long way  
toward showing you were a different person than before. Maybe if you  
started doing stuff like that for anybody else who was in trouble, you'd  
convince more people, including my family, that you might be changing  
for the better."  
  
Nabiki finished her argument and waited, trying to gauge  
Tatewaki's reaction. He used to be so incredibly easy to read, but these  
days he had become more withdrawn, his emotions and internal thought  
processes hidden. After several minutes of study, she concluded that he  
wasn't going to help after all. [What a waste of time. I shouldn't have  
come here.]  
  
"I shall do it."  
  
"I figured as much, I don't know why I even both-" Nabiki  
stopped. "You'll do it?" She almost couldn't believe her ears  
  
Tatewaki nodded. "You are correct, Tendo Nabiki. I have not  
been the most virtuous of samurai," Nabiki laughed at that, "but that  
does not mean I am bound to the path I traveled before. Perhaps it is  
time for a change. Where did you say these fiends are holding yon fair  
maidens captive?"  
  
Nabiki blinked. "Um, okay. Konatsu said they were hold up in an  
condemned office building in the Meji district."  
  
"Sasuke!"  
  
The little ninja popped out of a nearby potted plant to kneel  
next to Kuno. "Yes, master?"  
  
"Prepare for battle, we depart at once!"  
  
Sasuke nodded fiercely. "Yes, master!"  
  
"Ohohohohoho! Not without me, brother-dear!"  
  
Nabiki planted her face in her hand and groaned. [Not her.  
Please, Kami-sama, not her! The last thing we need is a wild card.]  
  
Kodachi Kuno leapt from the second store railing, did a  
graceful somersault, and landed beside her brother, her midnight-blue  
kimono still wrapped neatly around her body.  
  
"Sister, I do not think this a wise idea. You should be  
resting."  
  
Kodachi scowled. "I have done enough resting. I did enough  
resting that I very nearly lost my mind again. And if you can go off and  
start helping people now, why cannot I do the same thing? Besides, you  
and Sasuke are the only family I have left now, I cannot let you go off  
and face danger alone!" She was confident her 'sedative' would keep her  
patient out of it for the rest of the night.  
  
"These people mean business, Kodachi," Nabiki told the girl  
flatly. "This isn't a rhythmic gymnastics match."  
  
Kodachi leveled a gaze at the Tendo daughter. "I am more  
capable of taking care of myself than you are, Tendo Nabiki."  
  
"Touche. Fine then, if you want to come along, do so. Just try  
not to get in the way."  
  
Kodachi smiled slightly, and at first Nabiki thought the girl  
would laugh or make some kind of snide comment. Instead, all she said  
was, "Very well. Thank you for allowing me to help. I shall do what I  
can."  
  
Nabiki blinked, looking at the girl strangely.  
  
"Then let us be off," Tatewaki declared, striding towards the  
door. "Every moment we tarry here, is one which may prove to be our  
friends' undoing."  
  
And with that, the unlikely, and possibly unstable, quartet  
headed off into the night.  
  
  
  
  
"They're coming."  
  
Zhao Len perked up from where she sat, looking across the room  
to where Kae gazed out the second story window. The old woman could feel  
the ki signatures approaching, but was unable to tell exactly who it  
was. She took a sip of her tea and voiced that question to her temporary  
partner.  
  
"The effeminate ninja boy has come back, and if I'm reading the  
memories of this body's previous host correctly, he's brought Ranma's  
father and Akane's father with him."  
  
Zhao Len frowned. That wasn't who she wanted, but she supposed  
they would do for now. "Very well. Let's make ready to receive our  
guests."  
  
Kae stepped back from the window, gave the old woman a slight  
nod, then faded into the shadows.  
  
  
  
  
"This the place?" Soun asked the young boy, reading the  
nameplate on the gate as the 'Nikaze Office Building.'  
  
Konatsu nodded fiercely, mentally preparing himself. "This is  
where they hold Yuri, Ukyo, and Selah."  
  
"Well, it's safe to say we are expected," Genma added, noting  
the six-tiered structure.  
  
"Indeed, Saotome." Soun cast a grin at his friend. "Well, shall  
we show them what two who trained under the Master of the Musabetsu-  
Kakuto can do?"  
  
Genma matched the grin. "We shall, Tendo. After all, not all of  
it was panty-stealing."  
  
"True," Soun agreed sagely. "There was the peeping, the running  
out on bills, burglary, conning the villagers we came across,  
freeloading..."  
  
"Ahem," Genma coughed into his fist. "I think that's enough,  
Tendo."  
  
"Right, let's go!"  
  
  
  
  
Kasumi finished her meal in silence, a little lonely due to the  
fact that no one else was there. With Ranma, Akane, and their father's  
gone, Kasumi figured she would at least have Nabiki, but the elder Tendo  
daughter couldn't find her younger sister anywhere. She must have snuck  
out earlier. Kasumi was tempted to give Tofu or Auntie Saotome a call  
just for some company.  
  
She sighed and placed her empty bowl down. She found delight in  
others, in working behind the scenes to help them out. When there was no  
one around, or no one to help, she felt more alone and depressed then  
most.  
  
Her internal thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of voices  
and footsteps entering the foyer.  
  
"...st drop it, Ranma," came Akane's weary voice. "I'm tired and  
I don't want to hear anymore, okay?"  
  
"Jeez, Akane," Ranma replied in an exasperated tone. "I was just  
tryin' ta help. What's buggin' ya? You've been uptight since this  
morning!"  
  
"Just leave me alone, Ranma. I'm not in the mood."  
  
"Feh, fine. Whatever."  
  
"Ranma, Akane, you're back!" Kasumi greeted the newlywed couple.  
"How was the honeymoon?"  
  
A pair of blushes was the reply, as the two gazed shyly at each  
other. Then the moment was gone and Akane was turning away from Ranma.  
"I'm a little tired now Kasumi. If you don't mind, I think I'll head  
straight to bed."  
  
Kasumi nodded as she hugged her youngest sister. "Of course.  
We've set up your new room in the master bedroom."  
  
"New room?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
"Of course!" Kasumi replied with a smile. "You two own the house  
and dojo now, so father moved into the guest room. We've set up a new  
bed in his old room, which is now yours."  
  
Ranma put a hand behind his head, the enormity of the change  
now hitting him. "Oh, geez." He looked around. "Say, where's pops and  
everyone else?"  
  
"Oh, Father and Uncle Saotome went with Kenzen-san to help  
rescue Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah-chan."  
  
"What!?" was the stereo response.  
  
"From who?" Ranma asked, his mindset switching to action.  
  
Kasumi thought about for a second. "Someone named Zhao Len, I  
believe."  
  
"Oh, crap." Ranma dropped his pack and sprung back to the  
doorway. The last time he had tangled with the old woman, he very nearly  
lost. "Where?"  
  
"Oh, are you going, too? Please be careful. I think it was a  
run-down building in the Meji district."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Gotcha. Come on, Akane. Let's go." He sprinted  
out into the yard, then stopped when he realized his wife wasn't  
following. Turning back around revealed her still standing in the same  
spot, looking somewhat edgy and... there was another emotion on her face  
he couldn't identify, but it couldn't have been fear, could it? "Whatssa  
matter? You comin' or not?"  
  
Akane shook her head. "No... You go without me. You can handle  
it alone. I..." She stopped, then cast a sad look at Kasumi and rushed  
into the house.  
  
"Whatever." Ranma shrugged, then took off. Inwardly, he was a  
bit confused. On one hand, he was glad that she wasn't going to put  
herself in danger and he could fight without worrying about her, but on  
the other, he had actually started to grow used to having her fight by  
his side.  
  
Not knowing what to think about it, he dropped the lone of  
thought altogether, clearing his mind for the battle ahead.  
  
  
  
  
"Is something wrong, Akane-chan?" Kasumi said from the doorway  
to the couple's new room. Akane was already inside. She had apparently  
dropped her pack inside, and was now laying on the bed, staring at the  
ceiling.  
  
"No, I'm... fine, Kasumi," Akane replied in a near-listless  
voice.  
  
The elder sister took a step into the room. "Normally, you  
enjoy running off on these adventures, especially with Ranma."  
  
Akane turned over to rest on her side, curling up and said in  
such a quiet voice, Kasumi barely heard it, "He doesn't need me. I'd  
just be in the way."  
  
This time, Kasumi was moved to cross the distance and sit down  
lightly on the bed. "I'm sure that's not true. You've been a big help to  
Ranma-kun many times."  
  
"Maybe," she said in a thoughtful voice, but then it went back  
into her depressed one. "But that was then."  
  
Sensing an issue here, Kasumi asked, "Something changed? Do you  
want to talk about it?"  
  
When she did not receive a reply, Kasumi took a closer look at  
Akane, to find the younger girl trembling slightly. The elder sister  
laid a hand on her sister's knee, and Akane responded by nearly throwing  
herself into Kasumi's arms, shuddering and leaking tears. Then the words  
came pouring forth, as if a dam had burst.  
  
Akane talked about how she had been experiencing small bouts of  
dizziness and weakness, but thought it was nothing, until she had been  
accosted by a gang of boys early this morning as she was out jogging.  
Normally, she would have been able to easily handle the seven or eight  
that surrounded her, but after turning away the first few attacks, she  
was hit with another weakness spell. Her strength nearly gone, she was  
soon overpowered, unable to adequately defend herself.  
  
And she would have been in trouble too, had not Ranma suddenly  
appeared and tore into the attackers with a vengeance, only to carry the  
sobbing Akane back to the inn they were staying at.  
  
"He was following me!" Akane nearly wailed. "He had to have  
been, in order to save me!"  
  
"I'm sure Ranma-kun was just concerned," Kasumi offered.  
  
Akane shook her head and pulled back from Kasumi, sniffling.  
"No, I'm not upset that he followed me, just that he had to intervene. I  
should have able to handle eight guys just fine, but I no longer have  
the crystal heart that made me strong. I'm just a weak little girl now."  
The last sentence came out in a bitter tone.  
  
Akane turned away from her sister, and her voice became much  
quieter and more filled with sadness and self-loathing. "It's just as  
Ranma said once on our training trip. The super soba, the battle dogi,  
the Tora Dokiken that the crystal heart provided -- they may have  
happened to me accidentally, but the fact is I continued to use and rely  
on them. I cheated. I wanted to be an equal to the other girls and Ranma  
so much, that I took advantage of shortcuts. And now I'm paying the  
price."  
  
"Oh, Akane-chan..." Kasumi closed the distance between them once  
more and hugged her sister tightly. "You were always the strong one of  
us. I may have stepped in mother's role, and Nabiki may have helped with  
the finances, but you were the only one who still carried the  
enthusiastic spirit of our mother. You may not have done everything very  
well, but you never gave up, always seeking to do something to help when  
and wherever you could. And then you found martial arts and became far  
stronger than any of us, including father. We always looked to you as  
our protector."  
  
"But I'm not like that anymore!" Akane protested, but not  
pulling out of her sister's hug. "Even on the trip home, I was fatigued  
more than once and had to stop and rest, or else we would have been back  
sooner. I can barely cook or sew, and know I can't even fight anymore!"  
  
Kasumi placed a hand on Akane's chin and lifted the younger  
girl's tearful, brown eyes to meet hers. "Listen to me, imoutochan," she  
said in a firmer voice. "You can do anything you put your mind to, as  
long as you don't give up. When you wanted to learn to cook, you used  
our mother's cookbook and Nodoka-obasama's help to be able to. You've  
actually made several good dishes. When you actively pursued Ranma, the  
other girl's didn't have a chance. When you wanted to become a better  
martial artist, you convinced Ranma to train you and you became better.  
You never gave up!"  
  
"But, what about these bouts of weakness?" Despite the question  
asked in fearful doubt, Kasumi detected a small spark of Akane's hope  
and confidence in there as well.  
  
"I don't know," Kasumi conceded, stroking her sister's hair.  
"Maybe we can have Tofu take another look at you. From what you've told  
me, I do not think that is normal. You were always a healthy and active  
child, even before mother died."  
  
Akane blinked at her sister in surprise, realizing the  
statement was true. Her recently-surfaced memory of her mother entailed  
how she gave the crystal to Akane before she died. If Akane wasn't weak  
before that, maybe what was happening to her wasn't her natural  
condition.  
  
"I-I don't know, oneechan," Akane told her sister over a yawn.  
"But thanks for trying. I'm just so tired right now."  
  
Kasumi smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Now you should get some  
rest." She helped Akane lay back down and pull the covers over her.  
  
"You always do that," Akane mumbled, eyes closing. "Take such  
good care of us, that is."  
  
Kasumi retreated to the doorway and switched off the lights.  
Akane couldn't see since her own were closed, but Kasumi's eyes suddenly  
looked much older and wiser. "It's what I do. There are things you can  
do that I could never hope to accomplish, and there are things that only  
I can do to help. To each their own."  
  
With a subtle shift, her eyes returned to normal. Kasumi then  
closed the door, heading for the dining room to clear the table of  
dishes and to prepare the leftover food for storage.  
  
After all, her family would be hungry when they returned home. 


	8. Chapter 8

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 8  
  
  
  
  
"So, which way is it?" Soun asked, somewhat frustrated. They had  
been in the building for ten minutes, yet their guide seemed to become  
more and more unsure as they walked along.  
  
Konatsu glanced down the right hallway, then the left, then  
down the right one again. "Um... I think..."  
  
"Yes?" Genma leaned closer  
  
"It's most definitely... In fact I'm almost sure..."  
  
"And...?" Soun leaned foreword as well, as the kunoichi seemed  
to come to a decision.  
  
"I don't know," he replied sheepishly, placing a hand behind his  
head and looking embarrassed.  
  
After the two men dragged themselves off the floor, Soun  
grabbed Konatsu by the shoulders and shook him. "Come now, you must  
remember something! There are three woman in here that need our help!"  
  
Konatsu shook his head slightly. "I was knocked unconscious  
when I came in, and I wasn't paying attention on my way out."  
  
"I think that the three of you are in need of more help than the  
three girls you came to save," an amused, elderly female voice declared  
from the end of the left hallway.  
  
Konatsu smacked his right fist into his left palm. "I knew it  
was the left!"  
  
"And who are you?" Genma asked, studying the short shadow at the  
end of the hall.  
  
The old woman cackled. "Why, I'm Zhao Len, Saotome Genma.  
Surely your children told you all about me?"  
  
"YOU!" Soun bellowed as he took off down the hall. "You  
kidnapped and threatened my little girl!"  
  
"Wait, Tendo!" Genma called as his friend took off in a rage,  
then sighed. "Guess it's up to me to keep you out of trouble." He  
sprinted down the hallway after Soun.  
  
Konatsu stood there for a second, blinking after the two men,  
before running after them as well. "Wait for me!"  
  
Zhao Len shot off down a perpendicular hall as Soun was about  
to reach her, and he gave chase, Genma not far behind. Konatsu was  
unable to follow, however, as his danger sense pinged and he came to a  
sudden halt, just as the wall exploded, revealing a familiar black-clad  
figure blocking his path with a slightly curved wakizashu outstretched.  
If Konatsu hadn't stopped, the weapon would have taken his head off.  
  
"Oh no, little ninja boy," Kae said, voice dripping with menace.  
"You will fight me."  
  
Konatsu froze for a second, then his features hardened. "As you  
wish."  
  
There was a tense moment of silence as the two fighters locked  
gazes. Then, by an unspoken signal, they suddenly leapt towards each  
other in a rapid flurry of attacks.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, which is it?" Kodachi asked, hands on her hips.  
  
It suddenly occurred to Nabiki that while she overheard Konatsu  
say what area they were in, he didn't mention which building. She  
glanced around nervously while the black-haired gymnast frowned at her.  
"I... I don't know," she admitted. "But it has to be one of the  
buildings on this street! These are the only condemned structures in the  
Meji district!"  
  
Kodachi sighed heavily, then scanned the boarded-up houses,  
warehouses, and office buildings scattered around them.  
  
"Never fear," Tatewaki declared, drawing his katana "For I  
possess the ability to find those in danger."  
  
"Oh really?" Kodachi said, eyes half-lidded. "How come I have  
never heard of this talent of yours?"  
  
"A samurai reveals not all his skills until needed!" her brother  
countered, then knelt in the middle of the street, his sword held  
upright in both hands, a streetlight shining down on him. When he spoke  
next, it was in a voice barely above a whisper. "Please... honored  
ancestors... if you can hear me. Somewhere nearby there are maidens in  
danger, but I cannot find them without your help. If you can hear me...  
then guide my sword!"  
  
Nabiki blinked. "Wha-?"  
  
Sasuke and Kodachi groaned.  
  
"Don't tell me you've been watching _that_ movie again,  
oniisan?" The kimono-clad girl asked her brother, tiredly. Then she  
began to snicker and giggle as Tatewaki stood and wobbled around,  
following where his katana tilted. "Well, I suppose that is better than  
standing around wondering where to go! Ohohohoho!"  
  
Nabiki shivered and backed away as Kodachi laughed, but the  
other girl cut it off when she noticed the Tendo girl's reaction.  
  
"Tell me something, Tendo Nabiki," Kodachi asked, suddenly  
looking quite serious and troubled. "Do I... scare you?"  
  
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Considering what you've been and  
done in the past? Most definitely. I mean, let's face it. No one ever  
knew what you were going to do, unlike your predictable brother. And  
your laugh is just unnerving." Even though she felt a little bothered by  
what she just said, Nabiki felt perfectly justified in saying it.  
However, the look on Kodachi's face made her think twice.  
  
The black-haired girl suddenly looked sad and downcast, even as  
her eyes dropped to study the ground. "It is as I thought. Ranma-sa...n  
looked at me the same way. As did the girls at my school. I am quite  
detested and feared."  
  
Nabiki felt that twinge again and sighed heavily. Several yards  
away, Tatewaki swerved back across the street. "Look. You're not really  
crazy anymore, right? I mean, you're mind's longer being messed up by  
that hideous creature?" As Kodachi's head slowly came back up and  
nodded, Nabiki continued. "Then you should be able to be whoever you  
want to be now. If people still hate you, then that's their problem.  
That's how I live. If they like me, fine. If they don't, then I don't  
care."  
  
Kodachi looked at Nabiki strangely and with a confused  
expression. "Surely, you can't be serious?"  
  
"Look, if you don't laugh like that anymore and start acting  
like a normal human being..." [I can't believe what I'm about to say.]  
"Then, I wouldn't mind being around you so much." Nabiki grimaced. [Why  
don't you just ask her over for a slumber party now and the two of you  
can make cookies?]  
  
Kodachi tapped her chin in thought. "Perhaps... perhaps you  
right. I shall do as you say, Nabiki-san."  
  
Nabiki looked wide-eyed at the other girl. [Amazing! First  
Kuno-baby and now her, of all people! Maybe that demented, dog-faced,  
troll really did do something to these peoples' minds! She's actually  
acting rather... normal. Scary.]  
  
*Thump!* "Eureka!" Further thought was cut short by Tatewaki's  
cry of success. Both girls and Sasuke turned to where Kuno's sword  
rested in the wooden gate to one of the office buildings. "This be the  
fiends' hiding place. Come, let us make haste!"  
  
"Oh come now, Tatchi," Kodachi told him in a condescending  
voice. "You don't really think that little trick worked?"  
  
A small explosion sounded from inside the building as if in  
reply, even as it shook slightly. To those outside, it almost felt as if  
an elephant had been let loose inside.  
  
Tatewaki grinned triumphantly. "You were saying, Dachi?"  
  
Nabiki waved it off as she stalked up to the gate and swung it  
open. "I'm not going to ask. Let's just go. If that is my father in  
there fighting, then we have a short window of opportunity to free the  
girls and get out."  
  
"I am with you, Nabiki-san," Kodachi declared as she flashed a  
wicked smile at the other girl's frown, then jumped and somersaulted  
over her.  
  
Nabiki and Tatewaki ran to catch up to Kodachi as she sprinted  
up to the main entrance doors, Sasuke trailing behind them. With  
apparently not a lot of regard for caution, the gymnast threw the doors  
open with a *bang*, then strode inside, followed in the same manner by  
her brother.  
  
"So much for a quiet entrance," Nabiki sighed, then entered  
after the Kuno siblings.  
  
The sounds of combat were much clearer now, kiyah's and bodily  
impacts echoing from somewhere deeper within the rickety, rundown  
structure. The occasional crash indicated that a another wall had failed  
to withstand something being thrown against it.  
  
"Hark!" Kuno declared, katana at the ready. "The sounds of  
battle come from within. I go to join our comrades and assure victory!"  
Immediately following his noble pronouncement, he took off in the  
direction his senses told him was where said combat was taking place.  
  
"Not now!" Nabiki told him sharply as he ran off. "We have to  
find and free the hostages first, then you can go off and heroically get  
yourself killed!"  
  
"One almost might think you still cared for my brother," Kodachi  
said wryly.  
  
"I do NOT care for that arrogant, insensitive baka!" Nabiki  
hissed, then froze and winced while Kodachi and Sasuke turned their  
attention upon her. [Why did that sound so incredibly familiar?] She  
shook her head. "All I meant was that it would be easier to find the  
girls if all four of us looked!"  
  
"Riiiiight," Kodachi agreed in a condescending voice.  
  
Nabiki threw her hands up in disgust. "Whatever, I don't care.  
Do what you want." She turned and stormed off in a different direction.  
  
"Sasuke, follow my idiotic brother and protect him!" Kodachi  
ordered.  
  
The little ninja stood at attention. "Yes, Mistress! But what  
about you?"  
  
Kodachi glanced down the hallway to where Nabiki had gone, a  
wicked grin forming on her face. "I think Tendo Nabiki will need at  
least one of us protecting her, don't you agree?"  
  
  
  
  
Most people who have watched Ranma's fights would tell you that  
at times the two combatants moved so fast, they tended to blur, making  
it difficult to tell what is going on. However, if one were to watch the  
current fight between these two highly-skilled ninja, they wouldn't be  
able to tell what was going on at all.  
  
The clash of metal against metal, or metal on wood, and the  
smack of flesh on flesh was all that could be detected. Konatsu and Kae  
moved to and from, and struck while inside, the litany of shadows that  
littered the hallways and rooms. Every once and awhile, one or the other  
would be visible as they leapt through a lighted area, but for the most  
part the fight was good as invisible.  
  
They both knew, that a single mistake would spell the end for  
either of them. Kae had hundreds of years of experience, but was limited  
by Kenji's body. Konatsu had high natural talent, but not much  
experience.  
  
As their eyes locked during a brief scuffle, they both knew the  
other was well aware of the stakes.  
  
  
  
  
"Hiyah!"  
  
Zhao Len easily turned aside the thrust kick with her staff,  
sending Soun crashing through yet another wall. The building shook  
slightly with each piece destroyed. "Pathetic. And to think you two are  
the ones who trained your children."  
  
"We're just getting warmed up!" Genma sprinted foreword and  
attacked, surprising the old woman that he could move such bulk so  
quickly. Still, everyone one of his punches was turned or blocked with  
the staff, until he overextended with his left and Zhao Len poked him  
under the armpit with the tip of her staff.  
  
The arm went limp as Genma grunted in pain. He tried a reverse  
roundhouse, but she ducked under the flying foot and thrust the head of  
her weapon into his chest. As it impacted, not only did Genma 'oof' with  
the wind being driven out of his body, but his large frame was sent  
flying backwards. Before he struck the pillar behind him, however, Genma  
managed a one-arm Kijin Rashuu Dan.  
  
The vacuum blade sped towards Zhao Len, who nearly had her head  
taken off, but sidestepped just in time so all it tore was the sleeve on  
her right arm. "Surprising. You do have some skill. Maybe I'll take you  
both back to the tribe, in addition to your son and daughter. We could  
always use more breeding stock, which is what you're children will be if  
they don't cooperate."  
  
"YOU WON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!" Soun roared, coming out of  
seemingly nowhere with a series of rapid-fire punches and kicks that  
flared and then were gone.  
  
Zhao Len was forced to give ground under the rage-fueled  
onslaught, not finding an opening in the man's defense. She snarled as  
she twirled the staff around, then her peripheral vision caught the  
flash of something silvery coming straight at her. Again, she brought  
her own weapon up just in time to block, then back-flipped to give  
herself a breather from the enraged man's attack.  
  
Sensing more than seeing the projectiles coming at her, she  
spun her staff and blocked both of them, feeling the *thunk* as they  
lodged in her staff. But when she finally stopped and observed her  
weapon, there was nothing on it except for two small holes.  
  
And a quarter of the staff on the tip-end was gone, shaved  
clean off.  
  
"What!?" Zhao Len did a double-take at both her staff and the  
Tendo patriarch. [He's not carrying any weapons, but that looked like  
the flash of a sword before I jumped away. And I could have sworn that  
those were two arrows that I blocked with my staff, but he's not holding  
a bow, either. So where did they come from?]  
  
Genma stared wide-eyed at his friend. "Tendo... You  
actually..." He had seen everything, and because Soun had mentioned it  
once before, he kind of knew what had happened. But for his old friend  
to do that...  
  
Soun's eyes never left the outcast Amazon. "You won't touch my  
daughter," he said in a quiet but deadly-serious voice.  
  
Zhao Len's lips curved upward in an evil grin. "I won't have  
to. But there are plenty of male Amazons who will."  
  
Soun screamed in rage and shot foreword at this, while Genma  
yelled, "Tendo! Don't!", knowing the old woman was just baiting him. His  
breath back but arm still numb, Genma hauled himself up just as Soun  
nearly collided with the deceptively frail-looking woman.  
  
Instead of blocking his attacks, however, Zhao Len thrust the  
staff downward and the wooden floor exploded under them. She was already  
airborne while the breaking point blast went off, but Soun stumbled  
through it, the wooden chips pelting him and the dust cloud blinding  
him. Acting on instinct, he jumped as he felt the floor give way, but  
Zhao Len was above him and clonked him in the back of the head with the  
staff, sending him head first into another wall.  
  
This time, Soun didn't get up.  
  
"Tendo!" Genma cried, trying to get to his fallen friend, but  
finding an old woman blocking his path.  
  
"Well," she said, grinning and idly twirling her staff. "It  
looks like it is down to you and me."  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo broke into wide, relieved smile. "Nabiki! What in the  
world are you doin' here?" Then she caught sight of the person behind  
her rescuer, and started. "Kodachi!"  
  
"Relax," Nabiki waved the chef off. "She's good."  
  
Ukyo eyed the kimono-clad gymnast warily, still remembering  
Kodachi's attack on Akane and kidnapping of Ranma, as well as all the  
other insane things the Kuno girl had done. "I don't know, Nabiki-chan.  
But I guess, if you say she's alright..." She still didn't feel alright,  
but there was nothing she could do at the moment, other than keep an eye  
on her.  
  
"See any keys around here?" Nabiki asked, taking note of the  
manacles and chains binding Ukyo and Yuri. She began to search.  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "Sorry. I was unconscious when they  
chained us up. And don't ask why there are cells and manacles in the  
basement of an office building."  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "Some businessmen have exotic tastes."  
  
Kodachi and Ukyo stared at the middle Tendo.  
  
"Dare I ask how you know that, Nabiki-san?" Kodachi asked.  
  
"I make it a point to know the business world, since I plan to  
rule it one day." She smirked while she continued to search the large  
room, discovering something in the cell on the other side of Ukyo's.  
"Yuri! She's here, too. Why didn't she say anything?" Nabiki opened the  
cell door, surprised it wasn't locked, then knelt down next to the young  
ninja girl, who was sitting against the wall and staring off into space.  
  
Ukyo inwardly winced. "She hasn't exactly had the best of times  
lately. I think she's still in shock over what happened to Kenji."  
  
"What did happen to him?" Nabiki asked the chef, as she checked  
Yuri for any injuries.  
  
"Don't really know. We at first thought someone kidnapped him,  
but it looks like either his mind has been totally warped, he's  
possessed, or something is just imitating his body." Nabiki poked her  
head around the stone partition that separated the two cells and cocked  
an eyebrow at the chef. Ukyo shrugged. "Hey, I've had plenty of time to  
think down here."  
  
"Nabiki-san, I have found another little girl here," Kodachi's  
voice rang out. "Could this be that 'Selah' you were speaking of?"  
  
Nabiki walked on over the last cell on the end while Ukyo  
asked, "Is she alright? I didn't know where they were keeping her."  
  
"She's unconscious," Nabiki called back. "But she's only tied  
with rope. If we had something sharp, we could cut it off her."  
  
Kodachi reached into her kimono sleeve and produced a small  
knife. "Allow me. You should continue to search for the key."  
  
Nabiki nodded and stood, prepared to start searching again, but  
was never given the chance. Instead, she mimicked the others and froze  
as the door creaked open and someone stepped inside, still partially  
hidden by shadows.  
  
"Looking for this?" the figure asked idly while holding up a  
steel key in the light.  
  
"Kenji!" Ukyo moved as far foreword as her chains would allow.  
  
In the cell next to hers, Yuri blinked and slowly crawled over  
to look at her brother with hope in her eyes. "Oniichan?" she asked  
softly.  
  
'Kenji' chuckled dryly. "I already told you he's not available.  
My name is Kae."  
  
"No!" Yuri screeched. "Where's my brother!? What have you done  
with him!?"  
  
"He's gone, and the sooner you accept that fact, the better,"  
Kae told her in a cold voice. With that, the ninja dragged something  
from behind her and dropped it just inside the room. Ukyo's, Nabiki's,  
and Yuri's eyes went wide, while Kodachi narrowed hers.  
  
"Konatsu!" This time both Ukyo and Yuri screamed, railing  
against their shackles, but were unable to go anywhere. "What did you do  
to him!?" Ukyo demanded to know.  
  
Kae shrugged. "He made a mistake. He paid the consequences."  
  
Nabiki suddenly wished Tatewaki was here, for protection of  
course. She backed up a step and knew that anybody who could take down  
Konatsu, could take her out with barely a thought.  
  
She suddenly found Kodachi beside her, handing her the knife.  
"You work on freeing the child," she whispered to Nabiki, then in a  
slightly louder voice declared, "I shall deal with him!"  
  
"You are welcome to try, girl." Kae sounded almost amused.  
  
"I shall do more than 'try'," Kodachi retorted, then began to  
undo the sash on her kimono. "For I am Kuno Kodachi, the 'Black Rose!'"  
The other girls stared in disbelief as the Kuno girl pulled off her  
kimono in one smooth move, revealing a midnight-blue, full-body, skin-  
tight leotard underneath. The only parts not covered were her hands and  
head, above her neck.  
  
She tossed the garment at her adversary and immediately set a  
ribbon twirling. Kae sliced through the kimono with one smooth stroke  
from her wakizashu, that wasn't in her hand a second before, but the  
Black Rose was already in motion.  
  
"Take my Petal Storm! Ohohohohoho!" Kodachi loosed a volley of  
black rose petals, bathing her opponent in a literal storm of blossoms.  
  
Kae backtracked through the door to avoid the attack, and  
Kodachi bounded through after the ninja, still laughing.  
  
Nabiki shook her head, forcing herself out of staring at the  
gymnast to go and cut Selah's bonds. It didn't take her long to finish  
the job Kodachi had started, and soon she was picking the girl up and  
carrying her over lay near Ukyo, stopping to check on Konatsu. She  
nodded to Ukyo, signaling he was still alive.  
  
"What are you doing, Nabiki?" Ukyo asked in disbelief as the  
Tendo girl began to try and pick the lock on her shackles with the  
knife. "You've got to get Selah and Konatsu out of here! I don't know  
how good Kodachi thinks she is, but that Kae was able to beat Konatsu  
not once, but twice. He'll be back soon!"  
  
"I came to save all of you," Nabiki told her, fiddling with the  
lock. "And that's what I'm going to do."  
  
Ukyo looked at her strangely. "Why? I don't recall you ever  
getting this personally involved in our fights before."  
  
Nabiki froze in mid-lock-pick as understanding failed her. [Why  
AM I doing this?] She had left the relative safety of her house only to  
put herself in a life-or-death situation that was best left to the  
martial artists. [Which I'm not. So where did this desire come from?]  
Her throat suddenly became dry as the motivation for her behavior was  
comprehended.  
  
Nabiki had always been a intelligent thinker, not taking long  
to come to the most logical conclusion. [That sword, that damned sword!  
I was so intent on fighting it's overt control, that it subconsciously  
altered my thoughts!] She didn't figure that out until now, when Ukyo  
had asked her the question, and she realized she didn't have an answer.  
  
"Nabiki?" Ukyo waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "You  
in there?"  
  
"I'm fine," she spat angrily, then resumed work on the lock.  
[Well, I'm already here. Might as well finish the job.] "Besides, you  
still owe me money. If you die here, I can't collect now, can I?"  
  
Ukyo just shook her head , while Yuri continued to watch the  
doorway where her brother had vanished, as well as the fallen form of  
Konatsu.  
  
  
  
  
Before Zhao Len or Genma could initiate any more actions, the  
steady rhythm of a pair of running feet drew both their attentions to  
the doorway across the ravaged room. Both wondered who it was, but they  
didn't have to wait long.  
  
Tatewaki Kuno burst into the room and surveyed the situation.  
Akane's father was laying in the far corner against a pillar, while the  
man he recognized as Ranma's father was facing off with a short,  
withered old hag who reminded him of the other old woman who used to run  
that noodle emporium, the Nekohanten.  
  
Kuno blinked. This was the dangerous Amazon one that once  
kidnapped both Ranma and Akane? he almost felt like laughing, if not for  
a small, long unused part of his brain told him that a little caution  
wouldn't hurt and not to underestimate his enemy.  
  
"I demand you free the maidens you have imprisoned, or you shall  
feel the wrath of mine blade!" He brought said instrument of war up,  
while gauging the old woman's reaction.  
  
Zhao Len nearly burst out laughing. "Oh, that's rich! I had  
heard the Kuno family were a bunch of loons, but I never expected this!"  
She quickly parried an attack by Genma, who sought to take advantage of  
a supposed distraction, and sent the man flying across to the other side  
of the large hole in the floor.  
  
"Silence, old woman!" Kuno commanded, while circling around to  
face her. "As much as it is detestable to me to fight such an old and  
frail matron, I shall not hesitate if means freeing those you hold  
captive."  
  
The 'old and frail matron' cackled. "Well, perhaps you'll be  
good for a few laughs. Let's see what you got, boy."  
  
Across the room, Genma picked himself up once more and sighed  
as he watched Kuno attack Zhao Len, then get sent on a flying trip of  
his own. Somehow he knew, things had just gotten worse, not better.  
  
  
  
  
"Ohohohohoho!"  
  
"Would you shut up," Kae growled, becoming increasingly annoyed  
by his opponent. This 'Black Rose' didn't seem highly skilled, but so  
far she had stayed out of close range, flicking that damned ribbon and  
spouting that irritating laugh. On the next flick, however, the ninja  
blurred foreword and sliced half the ribbon away. "Time to end this,  
little girl."  
  
"I have not yet begun!" Kodachi declared, flipping backward and  
rebounding off the wall, grabbing something attached to her waist and  
flinging it foreword. It whistled as it flew, but pinged off the metal  
of Kae's curved wakizashu as she brought it up to block. Kodachi was  
already moving on, flicking out a whip with the other hand as she  
flipped over her opponent.  
  
Kae found the whip wrapped around the upper hilt of her sword,  
even as Kodachi gave a fierce tug, trying to pull the weapon away. Kae  
resisted, the strength of the boy's body being slightly greater then  
that of the Black Rose. As Kodachi landed, Kae caught the familiar sound  
of whistling once more. It pinged once off a far wall then struck the  
back of the ninja's head, sending Kae stumbling foreword. It pinged once  
more as it rebounded of another wall, then Kodachi caught it and re-  
secured it to her waist.  
  
It was only then that Kae saw it: A slivery, circular chakram.  
  
The spirit in Kenji's body snarled. "I've had enough!" He  
sprung foreword at top speed, wrapping the whip around his weapon as she  
went.  
  
Kodachi attempted to leap back but Kae caught her in mid-air,  
sending an elbow into the girl's stomach. He then somersaulted in mid-  
air, swinging his feet up to catch Kodachi in the chin and rocket the  
other girl into a wall. Kodachi moaned dizzily as she slid to the  
ground.  
  
"Give it up, girl," Kae spat. "The only reason I didn't kill  
that pretty boy ninja is because Zhao Len forbids it a the moment. You,  
on the other hand, she didn't say anything about." He pulled the whip  
off her weapon and tossed it to the ground, then readied to take  
Kodachi's head off. "I've been waiting and planning my vengeance for  
almost a thousand years, and I'm not going to be stopped by you."  
  
"Just who ARE you?" Ukyo demanded to know.  
  
Kae turned to see the chef and the ninja girl, Yuri, on the  
other side of the room. "I was a warrior a long time ago, but was  
trapped within the earth for nearly a millennia until this boy foolishly  
wandered into my trap. My body had long since decayed, but my spirit  
lived on. And now I have a new body with which to extract my revenge, as  
soon as I fulfill my bargain to the old woman." Kae suddenly smiled and  
looked up at the ceiling, as if hearing something only she could hear.  
"And it appears I've finally been given the right to kill you."  
  
"I don't know what you want," Yuri said in a low, dangerous  
voice. "But for what you've done to my brother, Konatsu, and all my  
friends, I will stop you." She brought her own, shorter wakizashu up.  
  
"It wasn't that smart to leave our weapons nearby," Ukyo said,  
ginning and hefting her battle spatula. "How about I show you what this  
'short-order cook' can do now?"  
  
"Do not count me out either, Kuonji-san," Kodachi said, rising  
and readying a pair of tonfa.  
  
Kae's eyes narrowed, then she grinned evilly. "Well then, come  
and get me, little girls. If you think you can."  
  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Just a little clarification, in case you're confused. Kae is female, but  
Kenji's body is male. Nobody knows Kae is female, so all Ukyo and  
everybody see is a possessed boy. This explains why they refer to Kae as  
a male. 


	9. Chapter 9

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 9  
  
  
  
  
Genma was beginning to have severe doubts about the structural  
integrity of the building.  
  
Kuno had just taken his fifth flight through a support column,  
and this time he didn't look like he was getting up. Sasuke was limping  
his way over to his fallen master, and Soun was still out. Genma didn't  
feel that great, either. He'd managed a couple of hits to the old hag,  
but she'd given him quite a beating in return.  
  
At this rate, it would take a miracle to win.  
  
"POPS!" came Ranma's voice.  
  
Genma nearly burst out laughing. [When in need of miracle, get  
a miracle worker.] He couldn't count the number of times his son had  
done the impossible, and here was, arriving in the nick of time as  
usual.  
  
Zhao Len growled as Ranma leapt up through the hole in the  
ground and surveyed the scene. "Well, I was planning on getting to you  
sooner or later, boy. It might as well be now." She just wished she had  
Kae here to help. Of all her opponents, Ranma was the most dangerous,  
having beat her before. "Don't think you'll get me with the same trick."  
  
Ranma dropped into a ready stance and cracked a grim smile.  
"Won't need to. You're goin' down for the last time so you won't bother  
my friends and family no more."  
  
Zhao Len cackled, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a  
ruby. "I've just given the command for my ally to kill the hostages. If  
you surrender now, I'll countermand the order."  
  
"Don't listen to her boy," the elder Saotome called. "Konatsu's  
probably already saved them by now."  
  
"Or else my sister and Tendo Nabiki have," Kuno added, sitting  
up, and holding his swordarm. "You cannot just give in, Saotome."  
  
Ranma hesitated. Give up and save the hostages? Or fight and  
have faith in his friends? Phrased like that, he had his answer. "You  
better cancel that order right now, ghoul. If any of my friends are  
hurt, I'm gonna tear you apart."  
  
"Try me, boy," Zhao Len retorted.  
  
Ranma did, springing forward almost faster than the eye could  
see. Even to Genma's sight, the boy appeared faster and more agile than  
he ever had been before, and his father wondered what had changed in his  
son.  
  
Zhao Len blocked the strike and countered, but that was also  
parried, and then the two were bouncing all over the place like a pair  
of hyperactive jumping beans. Like the first match between them, Zhao  
Len seemed to hold the advantage, but this time Ranma was coming in  
fresh, while the ex-Amazon had already been fighting for awhile. Even  
she had her limits, and she knew she wouldn't last long.  
  
Instead, she launched into a intricate pattern of ki-blasts and  
breaking points, hoping to throw the boy off just enough to find in  
opening. Ranma, having fought both her and Cologne before, was starting  
to pick out the patterns and styles, complex though they were.  
  
"Pops, you gotta get everyone out of here!" Ranma yelled, coming  
to the same conclusion as his father. The building was beginning to  
shake badly, having lost one too many walls and support beams, both from  
the current fight and the one happening downstairs.  
  
The survivor persona in Genma had no problem with that. "You  
can count on me, boy!" He hauled his frame up and grabbed his old  
friend, noting Sasuke helping his master.  
  
"No one is leaving here alive!" Zhao Len shrieked, then aimed a  
ki-blast over Ranma, destroying another pillar with a brilliant yellow  
bolt.  
  
"No!" Ranma yelled, but it was too late. The whole area began to  
tilt, ripping the room in two and sending Genma, Soun, Tatewaki, and  
Sasuke tumbling through the hole to the first floor.  
  
Ranma managed to grab onto the edge, trying to haul himself up,  
but Zhao Len was suddenly there, preparing to give the final blow.  
  
At that moment, a support beam above them gave out.  
  
  
  
  
Yuri flipped away from the thing with her brother's form and  
glanced wearily at the shifting and teetering walls around them. She  
wasn't the only one who had taken notice of the impending demise of  
their battlezone.  
  
"Uh, guys," Ukyo said. "I think getting out of here might be a  
good idea."  
  
"Heh, I actually agree with you," Kae added. "If you make it out  
alive, we can finish this." With that, she leapt straight up, slicing a  
hole in the ceiling with one of her blades, and disappearing from view.  
  
"I agree as well," Kodachi said, preparing to follow.  
  
Yuri laid a hand on the gymnast's arm. "Hold it! What about  
Nabiki, Konatsu, and Selah?"  
  
Ukyo slapped her forehead. "Almost forgot about 'em! Come on!"  
  
The three girls took off back the way they came, finding Nabiki  
struggling with both bodies. Yuri quickly grabbed Konatsu, Kodachi held  
Selah, Ukyo threw an arm around Nabiki, and the sextet began to sprint,  
leaping up through the hole Kae had made. Moving as rapidly as possible,  
they busted their way through every obstacle in their path as the  
building began to come down around them. With a final spatula cleave  
from Ukyo, the group found themselves outside.  
  
Only to find Kae standing there waiting for them  
  
  
  
  
Ranma swung himself away as Zhao Len struck, at the same moment  
the beam came down.  
  
The old woman screamed as it trapped her beneath it's  
considerable weight, her staff spinning away into darkness. Try as she  
might, she couldn't get any leverage and she had already exhausted all  
her energy in the fight.  
  
Ranma, seeing this and not being able to bear someone in  
trouble no matter who it is, called out. "Hold on! I'm coming!"  
  
"Help me!" Zhao Len cried, her frail visage trembling in fear.  
  
Despite the rickety nature of his footing and the fact that the  
building was literally coming down around him, Ranma leapt from wall to  
beam to perch, trying to reach the trapped ex-Amazon. A final leap  
brought him to rest on the pillar ensnaring the old woman, so he swung  
down and tried to lift the heavy beam off of her. What he didn't see,  
was her face suddenly change from terrified, to burning hatred as she  
reached a hand out to touch him.  
  
"DIE!" she hissed, and Ranma was suddenly struck by a burning  
sensation in his chest, forcing him to let go of the support beam as he  
stumbled and fell backwards.  
  
Then, the building finally released all of it's fearsome built-  
up power.  
  
As any construction worker will tell you, when you build any  
size of structure, the floors and ceilings store what is called  
'potential energy.' When you remove the supports, this potential energy  
is released and the building comes down. This type of energy is a good  
friend of demolitionists, as it means all they need minimum of  
explosives to bring the structure down.  
  
Now, the Nikaze Office Complex was releasing all if it's stored  
potential energy, and letting gravity take it's long neglected and very  
brutal hold.  
  
  
  
  
"Now who could that be?" Kasumi wondered she went to answer the  
knocking on the front door. Opening it revealed a frail-looking  
gentleman, a monk of some sort she assumed, complete with near-bald head  
and draped in a simple, dark brown robe. "Hello. Can I help you?"  
  
The man smiled. "No, but I believe I can help you. If I may be  
so foreword, may I come in?"  
  
Kasumi blinked, but felt strangely compelled to oblige. "By all  
means, come on inside."  
  
The elderly gentleman smiled, and as he walked inside, his  
right eye twinkled mysteriously.  
  
  
  
  
Kodachi screamed as Kae yanked her arm back, but was unable to  
do more as Yuri landed a jumpkick to her brother's backside. Kae  
stumbled forward and released the gymnast roughly, but managed a hard  
kick to the back of Kodachi's leg. The injured Kuno girl floundered for  
a bit, then tripped and fell.  
  
Kae turned to face the sister of her host's body, a feral and  
hungry grin forming on his face. "What's the matter? Can't bring  
yourself to really injure this body?"  
  
Yuri knew she couldn't do more than punches and kicks. A large  
part of her still believed there had to be something of her brother left  
in that body, so any more lethal moves were out of the question. She had  
tried wrapping him up in her yo-yo string, but Kae had just cut through  
it. All she could do, was hope to tire him out, or distract him long  
enough for one of the other girls to get a hit in.  
  
Unfortunately, Kae was adept at turning aside most of their  
attacks, and Ukyo seemed as reluctant as Yuri to inflict permanent harm.  
Only Kodachi appeared to be willing to fight to her fullest, but even  
that wasn't enough, as the gymnast now appeared to mostly out of the  
fight.  
  
As Ukyo moved in to duel Kae, Nabiki watched from the  
sidelines, wondering if there was something she could do as the last of  
the building collapsed in on itself. The call of the sword intensified  
for a moment, but she shook it off. Not being well versed in it's use,  
having a sword would only make her a target, and it would take too long  
to return to the dojo to retrieve it.  
  
Yet she was convinced there was something she was forgetting,  
some important detail. Studying Kae from a distance, it suddenly came to  
her.  
  
She glanced down at the two unconscious people she was watching  
after, noting which one would help the situation most, and proceeded to  
shake them. "Come on, wake up, kiddo! You're 'fiance' needs you." Selah  
groaned and turned over, but showed every sign of continuing her  
slumber. "Oh for the love of..." Nabiki sighed, then figured there was  
no help for it. She reared back her hand and slapped the girl.  
  
"Ow!" the little girl exclaimed, her cheek reddening. Then her  
eyes opened and she focused in and glared at the one who struck her.  
"Why'd you do that!?"  
  
"Sorry, kiddo, but I believe they could use your help." Nabiki  
pointed out the battle raging several dozen meters away, then looked  
back to see an expression of fright on the girl's face. "You don't need  
to fight, just hit Kenji with enough water to trigger his curse."  
  
Understanding and relief lit the girl's face, followed by an  
expression of despair. "But... I don't know if I have the strength! I've  
used too much magic already..."  
  
"You've got to try, or else Kenji's going to get hurt real bad,"  
Nabiki urged. "You're not going to let that happen, are you?" She felt a  
little guilty about pushing the girl's buttons like this, but saw no  
other way at the moment.  
  
Determination replaced the previous emotions on the young  
girl's face, then she brought her hands up and began to concentrate.  
  
  
  
  
"Alright, enough of this!" Ukyo snarled. "You're being a real  
jerk, Kenji, or whoever you think you are!" She twisted away from a spin  
kick as her left arm flashed out.  
  
"What!?" Kae gasped in surprised, finding his right side bound  
by several strands of sticky noodles.  
  
Ukyo smirked and gave a mighty tug, pulling her snarling  
opponent forward while bringing her battle spatula down. Kae grunted in  
pain as he took the blow on his free forearm, then spun and sliced,  
wakizashu appearing in his hand long enough the sever his bindings.  
Completing the turn, Kae lashed out with his now-free left hand and  
struck the chef's right wrist, causing Ukyo to yelp and drop her weapon.  
  
Ukyo suddenly found herself weaponless and vulnerable, as Kae  
moved in with a lightning fast blurry of punches and kicks. Ukyo tried  
to block and dodge, but never having had much training in unarmed  
combat, she was quickly overpowered.  
  
"No!" Yuri screamed, rushing forward to save her friend, but her  
panicked charge left her open to spin kick that caught her in the gut  
and sent her tumbling away. She twisted her ankle as she landed badly.  
  
Kae barely let that slow his momentum as he slammed an elbow  
into the side of the chef's head. Dazed, Ukyo dropped like a sack of  
potatoes. Dimly, she heard the sound of a blade being drawn from it's  
scabbard. Cracking open her right eye, the non-swollen one, revealed Kae  
kneeling down and bringing the sword up to her neck.  
  
"I've been looking forward to this," Kae told her. "I'll make it  
quick, so you'll at least die a warrior's death."  
  
Ukyo could barely feel her body as she tried to wrack her  
cloudy mind for an idea, when she noticed the arm holding the weapon was  
beginning to shake, badly. Curious, she watched as the smirk on Kae's  
face was replaced by surprise. The ninja grabbed the shaking arm and  
tried to steady it, to no avail.  
  
"Stop it!" Kae hissed.  
  
Ukyo blinked, while a short distance away, Yuri and Kodachi  
were watching with wide eyes.  
  
"It's mine, you can't have it!" Kae shrieked as the trembling  
increased, spreading to the rest of her body. She stood up slowly and  
took a step back, dropping the weapon. "NO!"  
  
Ukyo was confused; who was Kae talking to? He almost looked  
like he was losing control of his body. As her dazed mind began to  
clear, she sat up and studied him, and that's when all the pieces came  
together.  
  
[He's not talking to us,] Ukyo realized. [What if Kenji is not  
as gone as 'Kae' would like us to believe?] She tried to recall what she  
knew of possession, and remembered the cursed spatula that had attached  
itself to Ranma's hand. It had a will of it's own, but that never  
replaced Ranma's.  
  
"Kenji, fight it!" Ukyo yelled suddenly. Across the way, Yuri  
switched her stare to the chef. "Don't you see? He's not really gone!"  
  
If possible, the ninja girl's eyes widened even further. Then  
she understood and joined in. "Come on, 'niichan! You can do it!"  
  
"STOP IT!" Kae screamed, his whole body trembling. [You can't  
win, boy! My will is stronger, having grown much more powerful through  
the passage of several hundred years!]  
  
[But this is my body!] Kenji countered, his mental voice finally  
breaking free of the psychic bonds she had placed on him. [And these are  
my friends! I won't let you hurt them anymore!] "I WON'T LET YOU!!!"  
  
Yuri and Ukyo started at the voice change, back to one they  
both recognized. They both struggled to their feet, though Yuri  
collapsed in pain as she put pressure on her twisted right ankle.  
  
Despite the pressure he was exerting, Kenji's consciousness  
slowly found itself being forced back into the void that contained him.  
[No!]  
  
[I told you as I was stronger!] Kae yelled in triumph.  
  
"Now!"  
  
Ukyo, Yuri, and Kodachi jerked sideways at Nabiki's shouted  
command.  
  
"Haaa!" A horizontal geyser of water burst forth from Selah's  
hands and engulfed the trembling boy, sweeping him into the stone wall  
surrounding the building. The geyser cut off a second later, leaving a  
small, wet dog laying motionless on the ground.  
  
Selah, exhausted by the tremendous amount of magic she had used  
this evening, collapsed into Nabiki's arms. "D-did I...?"  
  
Nabiki nodded and smiled. "You got him, kiddo. Good job."  
  
"Is everyone all right?"  
  
"Over here!" Nabiki waved to the approaching Genma, who had Soun  
flung on his shoulder in a fireman's carry, while Ukyo hauled herself  
over to the unconscious wolf. "And you're a little late," she said,  
frowning at Tatewaki and Sasuke appeared behind the bigger man. Nabiki  
gave the kendoist a dark glare.  
  
"I didn't even know you were here until I spotted that water  
blast," Genma replied, setting Nabiki's father down beside her. "He'll  
be fine, he's taken worse," he assured her.  
  
Nabiki nodded, then both turned to see the other three girls  
approach, Ukyo carrying the unconscious lupine form of Kenji, while  
Kodachi and Yuri supported each other, limping along. "How about him?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head as she laid the small animal down. "He's  
out for now, but I think he'll be okay. The real question is: How is he  
mentally?"  
  
Yuri knelt by her brother and gently started to stroke his fur.  
"My poor 'niichan," she whispered. "What's happened to you?"  
  
"Well, at least everyone's okay," Nabiki said at last, standing  
up and stretching.  
  
Genma glanced around. "What about my son? Has anyone seen him?"  
  
"Ranchan was here?" Ukyo asked incredulously, then turned to  
stare at the rubble that used to be an condemned building. "If he's not  
out here, then..."  
  
"Don't even think it, Ukyo," Nabiki warned. "Even he's not dumb  
enough to get caught in that."  
  
"He went to save that old crone..." Genma stated, then shut his  
mouth.  
  
"He WHAT!?" came the stereo reply from multiple girls.  
  
"Dear Ranma-san..." Kodachi whispered in a reverent tone.  
  
Genma said no more, but suddenly sprung forward and began to  
dig through the rubble at a frantic pace. Ukyo lumbered over to help,  
her ribs protesting, but she ignored them. When Kodachi joined her, Ukyo  
thought she should be surprised, but merely gave a slight nod.  
  
"Ranma!" Genma called, heaving a large piece of mortar off to  
the side. "Speak to me boy!"  
  
Ukyo began to despair as they dug. There was just so much  
rubble and Ranma could be anywhere. [Come on, Ranchan! After all we've  
been through, you couldn't have bought the farm now!] She rubbed her  
eyes with her arm, clearing the tears forming out of them.  
  
"We will find him, Kounji-san," Kodachi's stated with near-  
certainty.  
  
"I know we will!" Ukyo shot back, a littler harsher than she  
intended.  
  
Kodachi merely nodded, as both girl's continued to clear what  
debris they could from in front of them, secretly dreading finding  
Ranma's broken body underneath the wreckage.  
  
Which was why they were taken completely by surprise when Ranma  
burst out from the pile of rubble, looking none too worse for wear, if a  
little haggard. They were further confused as he jumped into the air  
wearing a gleeful expression.  
  
"Yatta! I finally got it!" He turned to the group and bounded  
over, now staring at him as if he were a ghost, out of his mind, or  
both. "How's everyone?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Never mind us, how are YOU?" Ukyo exclaimed, finally finding  
her voice. "You just had a building dropped on you!"  
  
Ranma shrugged, then went on to roughly explain how he had used  
falling pillars and support beams to rapidly construct a support  
shelter, chestnut speed, that shielded him from the falling debris. "It  
was just another technique, I realized. After being buried like that a  
coupla times, I finally figured out how to survive it."  
  
"That's m'boy!" Genma said proudly.  
  
Ukyo shook her head, while everyone else decided to continue  
staring.  
  
Ranma blinked. "Well, shouldn't we be goin'?"  
  
"Is she dead?" Soun asked in an even voice, finally waking up  
and holding his head. Everyone turned to look at him, then followed his  
gaze to the huge pile of rubble.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Don't know. She was trapped when a support  
beam fell on her. I just barely survived that, and in her condition, I  
don't think she coulda done the same."  
  
The Tendo patriarch nodded grimly, apparently satisfied.  
  
"Well, I for one am quite satisfied this evening is over,"  
Kodachi declared. "If there is no more danger, I believe we should  
leave."  
  
Nobody had any argument to that idea.  
  
  
  
  
It was an exhausted group that arrived back at the Tendo Dojo  
that night. Not a word had been spoken since they departed the ruined  
office building, with the exception of a few good-byes as each group  
separated to head back to their own homes. The Ucchan group took Kenji's  
lupine form back with them, saying that they would secure him until they  
could determine if he was alright.  
  
Soun Tendo was especially quiet, his face holding the same  
serious expression. There were quite a few problems that tonight had  
made him see, although some he wasn't ready to deal with yet. However,  
maybe there was one he could confront, and he realized it was a long  
time in coming.  
  
Genma's attention kept switching back and forth from his son to  
his old friend. From pride at the former, to confusion for the latter.  
But not knowing what to do about it, and more than ready to call it a  
night, he pushed all thoughts out of his mind.  
  
Nabiki was more than a little annoyed and upset. For the first  
time in a long while, she wasn't in total control, and it shook the very  
core of her being. She felt vulnerable, exposed, scared, and hadn't a  
clue as to what to do about it.  
  
"We're back!" Ranma called as the quartet entered the front door  
and slipped off their shoes. The youngest Saotome didn't know what to  
think of this latest conflict, so he dealt with it the same way he  
always dealt with things he didn't know what to think; by ignoring it.  
"Akane? Kasumi?" He shared a confused look with Nabiki, when he received  
no answer to his hail.  
  
"Kasumi!" Soun called.  
  
"She was here when I left..." Nabiki trailed off.  
  
"You don't think..." Soun started.  
  
"That this was all ruse to draw us off so someone could capture  
Kasumi?" Genma finished.  
  
"You can't be serious, Pop!?" Ranma asked, incredulously, though  
even he was having his own doubts.  
  
"That does seem a bit far-fetched," Nabiki reasoned. [Still....  
Things have been weirder lately.] "I'll check her bedroom," she called  
while dashing up the stairs.  
  
"I'll check the kitchen!" Genma declared. In the face of two  
lidded glares, hastily added, "For Kasumi, of course." While the elder  
Saotome went to check his intended location, Ranma dashed out to the  
dojo while Soun sprinted down the hall to check the rest of the house.  
  
Upstairs, Nabiki had finished going through the rooms, not  
finding any sign of her older sister. "Kasumi?" she called again. [Where  
could she be?] Nabiki wondered, frustrated. As she closed the last door,  
she heard her father yell from downstairs.  
  
"YOU!"  
  
Turning quickly, Nabiki dashed back downstairs, nearly running  
into Ranma as he came back inside, obviously hearing the same shout.  
Together, they ran into the living room, but halted in their tracks at  
the scene that greeted them.  
  
Soun was angrily holding a bald, elderly gentleman aloft by his  
collar, pressing him against a wall. Nabiki was quite startled, never  
having seen her father so angry. But the other surprise was Kasumi,  
sitting on a cushion several feet away, astonishment written across her  
face. A tipped over teacup leaked its contents over the table.  
  
"So good... to see you again... Tendo-san, ack!" the old man  
commented, but made no move to defend himself.  
  
"Alright, what's going on?" Nabiki asked. "Father, who is this?"  
  
Soun's voice was low and even. "Oh, we go way back, don't we?  
He's the reason I had the honor," Soun let considerable venom into the  
word 'honor', "of apprenticing under Master Happosai. How can I ever  
thank you for that?"  
  
"You too, Tendo?" Genma asked, shocked.  
  
Ranma blinked, trying to make sense out of what was going on.  
"Whoa, wait a minute! What has this got to do with the old freak?"  
  
Soun's grip, which had lessened a bit with the surprise  
announcement from Genma, tightened back up with Ranma's mention of the  
master.  
  
The short, monk-like figure gasped. "Please calm yourself,  
Tendo-san!"  
  
"I am calm," Soun replied evenly. "The real issue, is what you  
are doing here? What were you trying to do with my daughter?"  
  
"Father, please don't hurt him!" Kasumi implored. "He's a nice  
gentleman."  
  
Nabiki sighed noisily when her father showed no inclination of  
letting the man go. [Why am I the only logical thinker in this house?]  
"Look, it's obvious he's no threat at the moment, and I doubt he can  
escape from three highly skilled martial artists, so why don't we find  
out why he's here first, what he wants, and then you can beat him up if  
you still feel like it?"  
  
A few moments of silence went by as Soun appeared to be giving  
his daughter's words some thought. "I should throw you out into the  
garbage right now," he practically growled, then dropped the man by the  
table. "But I want to know why you're here, as well as find out why you  
felt the need to send me to Happosai for training. You obviously knew  
his reputation."  
  
"As do I," Genma added.  
  
The mysterious man dusted himself off and sat up, appearing  
unperturbed. "You both wanted a strong sensei to train under, someone  
who had great power. I gave you that."  
  
"You gave us to a monster!" Soun countered, thrusting a finger  
at the short fellow.  
  
"This is getting us nowhere, daddy," Nabiki cut in. "Maybe if  
you started at the beginning and explained how you know him, and who he  
is?"  
  
Soun sighed, but sat down next to the man, Genma on the other.  
Ranma sat down next to his father while Nabiki joined hers. Kasumi took  
the opportunity to fill a few more teacups. She had a near-certain  
notion that they would be needed.  
  
"This goes back a long time, before any of you children were  
born," Genma said slowly, his eyes closed, when it appeared Soun was  
unlikely to start. "At that time, I was a young lad around Ranma's age.  
My father was a good fighter, but he had never formally trained in  
martial arts, and my mother was a poor farm girl. My family had no money  
and, with very little prospects, I left home when I was young to seek my  
fortune. I had to steal to survive, snatching up any scraps of food  
here, or a few coins there. At least that's how it was until I stole  
from a monastery in Osaka. The monks caught me and, as punishment, made  
me work to pay back what I stole. When they discovered I had nowhere  
else to go, they offered to feed, clothe, and teach me, if I worked for  
it. Naturally, I accepted."  
  
Never having heard about his father's early life, Ranma didn't  
know what to say, but paid rapt attention to the story. Soun had heard  
some of it before, but not the part that the monk across the table  
played in it. Genma never spoke of him before, and Soun realized,  
neither had he.  
  
"I ended up staying there for quite awhile, learning the martial  
arts," Genma continued. "In under a year, I was able to beat all of the  
students and fight most of the monks to a draw, at least. But I was  
arrogant, and with no further challenges, I sought to become master of  
the monastery." His eyes flicked over to the mysterious monk. "That's  
when a monk by the name of Ochiai, him, told me that if I wanted higher  
training, to seek out an old master name Happosai. When he told me how  
great the master was, I foolishly accepted." Genma folded his arms  
across his chest. "The rest, as they say, is history."  
  
"Was that the same for you, daddy?" Nabiki inquired, finding  
this little revelation interesting, but not entirely useful. Yet.  
  
Soun nodded. "Indeed. I, too, was the top student at the dojo  
where I trained, and when my parents died in a train wreck, I became  
resentful, in addition to being homeless." His eyes took on a far away  
look, as he was now seeing an entirely different time. "Having nothing,  
I attempted to claim the dojo as my own. I fought the master of the dojo  
several times, but was defeated handily each time. As they threw me out  
into the street and laughed at me, I swore I would return to take it, by  
force if necessary. But as I picked up my sore and battered body, I knew  
it would take more advanced training before I would be successful."  
  
Soun came back to the present and pointed to the man Genma had  
named as Ochiai. "That's when I met him, but he called himself Hidenori  
Taga. He taught me a little as I traveled with him, taunting me, telling  
me he knew a great and highly-skilled martial arts master that could  
teach me to be the best. I begged and demanded and threatened him to  
tell me. After a month he finally did, and a short time later I managed  
to track down Happosai. Genma had apparently become Happosai's pupil  
shortly before, and that's when we first met."  
  
Nabiki had a sudden thought. "Uh, daddy, this dojo you're  
talking about..."  
  
"You're in it now," he told her. "Five long years of training  
under the Master, and I returned here to claim it. It was run down and  
had no students, and I beat the owners easily. In exchange for leaving  
the dojo intact, the couple that owned it let me have it, and moved  
away. I don't know what happened to them."  
  
"You took our home from someone else!?" Akane yelled in outrage  
as she stormed into the room. "I thought you built this house!"  
  
"Akane, I thought you were in bed?" Kasumi asked.  
  
She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "I woke up  
when I heard dad's shout. I've been listening."  
  
Ranma was well aquatinted with the fury on his wife's face, but  
now it was directed at someone else. "Akane..."  
  
Soun closed his eyes. "I make no apology for my actions. I had  
nothing, and my parent's death left me with much anger." He grimaced.  
"Five long years of humiliation under Happosai did help matters, either.  
All I wanted was to settle down, raise a family, and teach the art to  
them. But Happosai kept coming back, again and again. Most girls were  
scared off by him, or scared away from me because of him. Only one was  
brave enough to stick with me: Kimiko."  
  
The Tendo girls inhaled at the mention of their mother's name.  
  
Hidenori or Ochiai or whatever his name was, felt the glare of  
the Tendo patriarch, and when Soun spoke again, his words dripped with  
venom-laced sarcasm. "And that's why I thank you. You took advantage of  
an emotionally unstable boy and introduced him to a demon in human form.  
I never forgot your face, hoping I would see you again. Because of the  
grief you put me, my wife, and my children through, thanks to Happosai."  
  
Akane huffed, but relented her glare, and sat down between  
Kasumi and Ranma.  
  
The monk closed his eyes. "I make no apology for my actions,  
either. But it had to be done. I can only hope in time you will be able  
to see that."  
  
"Wait a minute," Nabiki said in near-disbelief. "You're telling  
me this same guy directed you both to Happosai? Why? And why come back  
now? So much here doesn't make sense." She rubbed her temples, the day's  
activities having put a damper on her mental capabilities.  
  
"I understand it is confusing, but everything will soon be  
explained," the old man replied, then glanced at the clock and sighed.  
"However, it is late, and the tale I have to tell is long and  
complicated. I believe coming here tonight was a mistake. I think it is  
better that I come back tomorrow when everyone is more rested and level-  
headed." He glanced at Soun, who's glare never wavered.  
  
Ranma pounded the table with his fist and frowned. "You ain't  
goin' anywhere until someone starts explaining what the hell is going  
on! Just who are you?"  
  
The old monk ignored him and turned to the eldest Tendo  
daughter. "Thank you for the tea, Kasumi-san. I regret I have caused  
disharmony in this house, but it was unavoidable, unfortunately.  
Hopefully, I will be able to explain the reasons for my actions  
tomorrow."  
  
Kasumi smiled. "It was a pleasure! I enjoyed your company."  
  
Genma rose to his feet, as it appeared the mysterious gentleman  
was about to leave. "The boy is right. You aren't leaving until we get  
some answers."  
  
The elderly man sighed. "I'm terribly sorry, but you will just  
have to wait. The time is not quite right." With that said, he reached  
into his robe and pulled out several small white pellets, which were  
immediately tossed at his feet.  
  
"Look out!" Ranma called the warning, but it was too late.  
  
There was a bright flash and a billowing of thick, opaque,  
white smoke where the man once stood. When it was gone, so was the  
mystery monk.  
  
"He got away!" Soun slammed his right fist into his left palm.  
"I knew I should have dealt with him when I had the chance!" He felt a  
hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Genma looking at him.  
  
"We'll get him later," the elder Saotome told him. "He said he'd  
be back tomorrow."  
  
Nabiki yawned suddenly. "Well I, for one, am not going to worry  
about it. I'm too tired to worry about it." She stood up and headed for  
the stairs. "I'm going to get some sleep. Good night."  
  
Kasumi followed Nabiki up, while Soun saw Genma to the front  
door. That left the newlywed couple all alone.  
  
They glanced shyly at each other, before Akane stood up. "I  
guess I'm going back to bed, too." She took a few steps towards the hall  
while Ranma stood up.  
  
"Ummm..."  
  
She stopped and said over her shoulder. "Well, are you coming  
or not?"  
  
Ranma quickly followed. 


	10. Chapter 10

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds And Connections  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
  
Akara tumbled awkwardly into the grassy bush, shocked and upset  
at the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been feeling both  
scared and wonderful, the next Tenma had violently shoved her away,  
completely ruining the mood. All this served to light the pilot light of  
her anger. She regained her feet and sat up just in time to see a  
strange new girl land on the log and take a swipe at Tenma with what  
looked like... a giant spatula?  
  
Then she heard what he called her.  
  
"Yu-chan!?!?"  
  
[Chan!?] Akara thought incredulously. [And the Baka said he  
didn't have any other girls he was interested in! I should have known  
the two-timer was leading me on!]  
  
"Ten-chan!" the girl known as 'Yu-chan' admonished him. "How  
could you!? And after we were engaged to be married!"  
  
"WHAT!?" came the stereo reply.  
  
Yu-chan blinked. "Don't act surprised! My father talked to your  
sensei about it, and when he came back, my father told me he'd arranged  
for us to be married!" Her face took a faraway look. "I knew we were  
meant to be, and I was so happy! But when I went up to your cabin to see  
you, you were both gone!" She turned her weapon in her grip, and her  
eyes took a dangerous glint. "You ran away and left me behind! I told  
the other girls we were getting married, but when they learned you were  
gone, they laughed at me and made fun of me! Do you any idea what that  
feels like!?"  
  
"I didn't know!" Tenma protested. "We went on a training trip,  
and Satsu was buried by a landslide! He never told me about it!"  
  
"I've been searching for you for almost six months!" she  
practically wailed.  
  
"Uh, sorry?" he offered, sheepishly.  
  
Her dark, frowny look suddenly melted into a sunny one, and she  
quickly crossed the distance between them to glomp him tightly. "That's  
okay! We're together and can get married. That's what's important!"  
  
Akara finally extricated herself from the bush she landed in,  
and joined the other two on the log, having caught the conversation. She  
was quite upset at having a nice moment interrupted by this girl.  
"Excuse me! Who the hell are you!?"  
  
Tenma quickly backed out of the tight hug, sighing. "Uh, Yu-  
chan, this is Tendo Akara, my, uh, fiancee. Akara, meet Kuonji Yukio.  
She was one of my friends in the village, near where I lived."  
  
"Fiancee!?" Yukio wailed, her grip on her weapon tightening.  
"Ten-chan, how could you?"  
  
Tenma backpedaled, his hands making warding gestures. "It  
wasn't my idea! It was all my stupid sensei's plan!"  
  
Akara switched her glare from the new girl to her fiance for a  
moment, feeling inexplicably hurt by his statement.  
  
Yukio brightened. "Okay! Our engagement was made first anyway!"  
  
As the enthusiastic girl started towards him once more in an  
obviously too-friendly move, Tenma's gave wavered between the rapidly-  
reaching-the-boiling-point Akara and the grinning Yukio, and he decided  
the best course of action was to employ one of his sensei's most  
advanced techniques.  
  
"Uh, sorrygottagobye!"  
  
The two girls' twin stunned expressions stared at the smoke  
trail left by the young Saotome, but they lasted only a mere second  
before giving chase.  
  
"Ten-chan!"  
  
"Teeenmmmmaaa!"  
  
  
  
  
Ranko splashed her face with cold water from the barrel, then  
looked up just in time to see Tenma speed into the Amazon camp, two  
girls hot on his trail. One was Akara, but the other she didn't  
recognize and was waving a... giant spatula?  
  
She watched in near-disbelief as Tenma raced around a tent and  
dove inside, due to the hand waving him in. Because he was out of sight  
of his two pursuers when he disappeared into the tent, Akara and the  
other girl ran right past it.  
  
Ranko exhaled, then walked over to the tent entrance and  
waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later the two girls came back around,  
once they realized they had lost their quarry. The redhead waved to get  
their attention, then pointed to the tent. Both girls mouthed their  
thanks, then charged in.  
  
Tenma tumbled inside, then rolled to his feet. "Thanks, I-"  
Then he caught sight of who had saved him. [Why do I get the feeling  
that I would have been better off outside?]  
  
"Airen..." Xian Po purred, which made the young Saotome nervous  
for some odd reason. "No have to thank me. Wife always look out for her  
husband."  
  
"W-wife!?" Tenma squeaked, then froze as the Amazon slinked up  
to him, a coy smile on her face.  
  
She placed on hand around his neck and started to draw him  
towards her...  
  
"TENMA!"  
  
"Ten-chan, what are you doing!?"  
  
"Ack! It ain't what ya think!" Tenma managed to extricate  
himself from Xian Po's grasp just in time to dodge the giant spatula,  
but not from the giant mallet. *WHAM!* "Ite..."  
  
Xian Po scowled and produced twin staves topped by large,  
colorful maces. "Why stupid girls do that to Airen?"  
  
"Airen?" Akara's forehead scrunched in confusion.  
  
"It's Chinese for 'husband' or 'beloved one'," Ranko supplied  
from the tent entrance, amused by the whole scene and happy to share  
what she had just learned.  
  
"WHAT!?" Yukio's left eyebrow twitched as she turned back  
towards the Amazon. "He was my fiance first!" She leapt to the attack.  
  
"He's my husband!" Xian Po met her in mid-air.  
  
*Crash! Boom! Bang!*  
  
  
  
  
"I ain't marryin' nobody," Tenma declared darkly several hours  
later. "Ouch! Careful!"  
  
"Well, excuse me!" Akara replied without much heat as she  
bandaged his cuts and bruises. "I'm just trying to help. Honestly, you  
can stand up to evil ninja and members of the Dark Shogun's army without  
so much as a scratch, and yet you get all beat up by getting into a  
fight between two girls."  
  
Ryo snickered at that, but Ranko elbowed him strongly in the  
gut. He 'oof'ed as he folded around her arm.  
  
"As I was saying," Tenma continued after giving Akara a weak  
glare. "We've got more important things to worry about, like the fact  
that our friends are counting us to return in time?"  
  
Xian Po sighed as she and Yukio were patched up by a couple of  
the other Amazons. "Tenma right. We fight big enemy first, then we  
decide issue of marriage." She rubbed her shoulder and winced. "Spatula-  
girl, you not bad warrior. Almost make good Amazon."  
  
"The name is 'Kuonji Yukio', ya bimbo!" Yukio returned,  
referring to the Amazon leader's full and well-endowed figure. Then she  
simmered down and nodded reluctantly. "But I guess I agree with you. No  
marriages until after this is over, but I'm coming along!"  
  
Both girls turned toward Akara, who noticed their stare and  
looked at them blankly. "What? I don't want him in the first place!"  
  
Unnoticed to all but Ranko, Tenma winced slightly at that.  
  
Konisha stepped forward, a smirk on her face. "Xian Po-san has  
the right idea, and I suppose I shall back off as well. For now." Her  
smirk turned into a wide grin that unsettled Tenma. Of all the girls,  
she scared him the most, though Xian Po was a close second. "Anyway, as  
soon as my idiotic brother gets back from lighting the signal fire, we  
should go. Time is of the essence. Xian Po-san, how many Amazons do you  
have with you, and how quickly can they move?"  
  
"One hundred of our best warriors have come!" the Amazon leader  
boasted proudly. "And we are also accompanied by a dozen members of the  
mage clans."  
  
"Mage clans?" Ranko asked, interested.  
  
"They live in the Tibetan mountains far from Joketsuzoku, but we  
trade with them from time to time," Xian Po explained. "One such trade  
caravan was in our village when I returned, and a few of them wanted to  
come along. They have powerful magic, and teach some to us in exchange  
for combat lessons."  
  
"Only a hundred?" Akara asked. "I suppose it will have to do."  
She stood and, to the surprise of all, bowed to the Amazon leader. "I  
thank you for your help. Your offer to fight with us may be what wins us  
this war."  
  
Xian Po smiled and stood, reaching a hand out to bring Akara  
upright. "We warriors, yes? No need to bow. And Amazons always fight the  
darkness, no matter where or what it is, so is no problem." She let her  
teeth show. "But if you want to repay me, then we have fight between us  
after this, okay?"  
  
Akara smiled fiercely in return. "Deal."  
  
While all the girls smiled at this, Tenma and Ryo stared in  
stupefaction, not believing what they were seeing. These girls, who  
were nearly at each other's throats a short while ago, were now getting  
along almost like best friends. What was going on?  
  
Whatever it was, Tenma knew it couldn't be good. Especially for  
him.  
  
  
  
  
"Get lost!" *POW!*  
  
"You know, oniisan, I do not think she likes you," Konisha  
declared, not disguising her amusement in the least while approaching  
the fallen form of her brother.  
  
Tateyama pulled himself upright while nursing his jaw, and  
watched Akara stomp away. "I do not see why that is so. Do not all  
females like a strong male to dominate them?"  
  
Konisha rolled her eyes. "I see your experience with women has  
dimmed since I have been gone from the castle. I shall have to correct  
that. To answer your question: No. Not all women liked to be dominated.  
Tendo-san is much different than those servant girls who bow to your  
every whim."  
  
The elder Kuno thought about this. "Then how can I win fair  
Akara's hand? She is so fierce and powerful, like the tiger. I have not  
seen such a proud and noble spirit before."  
  
"I think you have pretty much ruined your chances when you tried  
to force her to marry you," Konisha said wryly. [And the fact that I  
believe she was already taken with Tenma-sama. More's the pity] "I  
wondered how you talked Father into arranging that stupid idea."  
  
Tateyama Kuno said nothing, for he could not think of anything  
to say as he watched Akara talk to Tenma. The engaged couple argued a  
bit, but then it looked like Tenma apologized, which caused Akara to  
apologize, and then the two walked off together to help finish gathering  
supplies.  
  
[If I truly have ruined my chances with Tendo Akara, where can I  
find another like her?] he wondered. [Someone strong and untamed, who  
will not 'bow to my every whim.']  
  
The sound of a woman's laughter echoed through the air, drawing  
the young noble's attention across the camp. There, the girl known as  
Ranko was laughing in response to something the strange Kuonji woman was  
saying, as they worked together with the Hibiki boy. Kuno recalled that  
she also was a warrior equal to, if not better than, Akara. And she was  
also a vision of loveliness, her red mane nearly glittering in the  
sunlight. And if not her, then there were a hundred women around who  
were also supposed to be noble warriors...  
  
Tateyama Kuno slowly smiled.  
  
  
  
  
Someone else had watched Tenma and Akara walk away together,  
and he wasn't too happy about it either. In fact, a better word to  
describe his mood would be: depressed. But if either of the girls he was  
absently talking to noticed, they didn't say anything.  
  
"Are you even listening to me, Ryo-san?" Yukio's annoyed voice  
cut through his thoughts and brought him back to the here and now.  
  
Ryo blinked and looked sheepish. "Uh, sorry. You were saying,  
Kuonji-san?"  
  
Ranko laughed as she hoisted a sack of supplies on her  
shoulder. "I'm going on ahead. You can catch up to me once you get the  
big dope moving," she said, indicating Ryo.  
  
"Hey!" he protested.  
  
"See you later, Ranko-chan!" Yukio waved, and reflected on how  
well she had gotten to know that girl in the past few hours. Now she  
felt like she had known Ranko her whole life. Something about the red-  
head just made people want to become good friends with her.  
  
Yukio shook her head and turned back to Ryo. "And you, I just  
asked if you could lift these! Three times!" She indicated the two  
barrels. "They're too heavy for me!"  
  
Ryo looked down. "Sorry, Kuonji-san."  
  
"And don't call be 'Kuonji-san'," she commanded him. "I hate  
that! Just call me Yukio."  
  
"Alright, alright!" Ryo huffed, then added, "Yukio-san." He  
hefted the two barrels, one on each shoulder, grateful that Tenma had  
removed that moxibustion of weakness.  
  
Yukio stared. [Those had to weigh at least a ton each!] "Um,  
that's fine. Now come on you big dope, we need to get them loaded up!"  
  
"I'm coming! Jeez, you don't have to be so bossy!"  
  
  
  
  
"Is that everything?" Akara asked as Ranko deposited her sack in  
the wooden cart.  
  
"Just about," Ranko replied. "Yukio and Ryo should be coming  
with the last of your supplies."  
  
Akara smiled at the other girl as they hugged. "I'll miss you.  
I still wish you'd come along with us."  
  
"Yeah, well. Someone has to show these crazy Amazons where to  
go, and a smaller group has to make it back as soon as possible and let  
your family and the Kuno's know our plan." Ranko released the other girl  
and stepped back.  
  
The plan was that a smaller group could move faster than the  
Amazon army, getting back to the Kuno castle a day earlier to inform  
them of the situation. The combined Kuno-Tendo army would get the Dark  
shogun's army to attack the castle, while the Amazon army and mages  
attacked from behind. With any luck, that would throw the Dark Shogun's  
army into enough confusion to allow a small contingent to sneak up and  
kill the Dark Shogun and his generals. Akara knew that if Kae hadn't  
betrayed them, her ninja clan would most likely be that small  
contingent. Now they would have to arrange for another group to do it.  
  
And with no leaders left, the rest of the dark army should be  
easily routed and/or driven off.  
  
So the 'officials' were going on ahead. That was Tenma, Akara,  
the Kunos, and Xian Po, while Ranko and Ryo would stay with the Amazons  
and guide them.  
  
"Though, I could use your help in keep the Baka in line," Akara  
said with a small smile, using her nickname for her mostly unwanted  
fiance.  
  
"You'll do just fine without me," Ranko returned. "Just be  
honest with yourself and with him, and everything will be okay." She  
grinned suddenly. "But if you don't watch it, one of the other girl's  
will steal him!" She laughed as Akara began to stutter denials.  
  
Akara cut it off when she realized Ranko wasn't convinced,  
which was probably because she herself wasn't convinced by them.  
"Alright. But after this over, I'll help you find your real family."  
  
Ranko nodded, remembering the so-called dragon scale she still  
carried, and the two shook hands. "Deal."  
  
Just about then, Yukio came up, dragging Ryo behind her as he  
carried the two barrels. The two girls hid smiles as they listened to  
Yukio berate Ryo for nearly tripping and dropping the his cargo.  
  
"What are in these things, anyway?" he asked, after plopping  
them down in the cart.  
  
Yukio began to fasten them in. "My own special ingredients for  
our family's famous okonomiyaki, of course!" She turned to the group and  
stated proudly, "I am a skilled chef in a long line of skilled chefs.  
Our okonomiyaki is the best in Japan!"  
  
"Is that what the giant spatula is for?" Ranko asked, curious.  
  
Yukio nodded. "Since most of our family travels on the road, we  
had to adapt our cooking style for combat when need be, since many a  
thief or bandit has tried to rob us. I-"  
  
"Would you knock it off!?" came Tenma's yelled demand,  
interrupting what Yukio was about to say. The small group turned to see  
Tenma running and dodging thrown weapons from a strange boy in white  
robe.  
  
"DIE SAOTOME!" he screamed back.  
  
"Could you at least tell me why you're trying to kill me!?"  
Tenma ducked as a throwing axe boomeranged above his head.  
  
"You're not good enough for Xian Po!" the other boy yelled,  
sending a volley of knives that Tenma eep'ed and jumped behind a tree to  
avoid. "Go ahead, deny that you beat her and married her!"  
  
"I didn't mean to!" Tenma replied hotly. "And I didn't marry  
her!"  
  
"It doesn't matter anyway, you don't deserve her!" The boy  
readied two, three-pronged claws on his hands and closed the distance to  
swipe at his opponent. "You're nothing but a coward!"  
  
"A WHAT!?" Tenma roared.  
  
"That did it," Ranko noted.  
  
"You said it," Akara agreed.  
  
"That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy!" Tenma braced himself for the  
other boy's next attack, and wasn't disappointed. Letting the thrusted  
claw graze by his head, he grabbed the fist and forced it into the tree,  
letting it stick there.  
  
The boy tried to pull the claw out, but realized it was stuck.  
It would take only a second to free himself however, but he realized  
that Tenma wasn't about to give him the chance. "Uh oh..."  
  
*WHAM!* Tenma's fist found the boy's face and rocked him  
backwards.  
  
*BAM!* His spin-kick caught the robed-boy in his right cheek,  
causing him to stumble backwards. Tenma then jumped into the air,  
somersaulted over him while grabbing his shoulders, and came down right  
behind his opponent while maintaining his grip and mumbling, "And thank-  
you..."  
  
*SLAM!* Tenma flipped his mysterious opponent over his head and  
planted him into the ground.  
  
When the dazed boy recovered, he found himself on his back,  
Tenma kneeling on his chest, and two fingers pressed against his throat.  
If his opponent wanted to, he could have crushed his windpipe at any  
time.  
  
"Now," Tenma spoke in a calmer tone. "You wanna tell me why you  
attacked me?"  
  
"You're just not very popular are you, Tenma?" Ryo said snidely  
as he, Ranko, Akara, and Yukio approached  
  
"Shut up, Mr. P," Tenma replied, causing Ryo to stiffen and  
snort. He turned his attention back to the boy he had captured. "You  
still haven't answered my question."  
  
"Because Mu Shu is stupid, that why," Xian Po's high voice  
replied as she approached. She looked down and smirked at the boy she  
called Mu Shu, and Tenma noted how he was unable to meet her gaze. "You  
can let him up, Airen. Mu Shu not attack you anymore."  
  
Tenma frowned, but got up anyway. Mu Shu sat up rather  
dejectedly and mumbled, "You got lucky." Then he looked up at his Amazon  
leader. "Xian Po, please tell me that he really didn't defeat you?"  
  
Xian Po nodded happily while attaching herself to Tenma's arm,  
but released it when Akara and Yukio growled. "Tenma is strong warrior.  
He defeated me in combat."  
  
"I didn't MEAN to!" Tenma protested.  
  
Mu Shu stood up and dusted himself off, then turned towards  
Tenma. "Know this! I still don't accept your defeat of Xian Po." He  
turned and leapt away, shouting, "This isn't over between us!"  
  
Tenma sighed. "Great, just great."  
  
"What's his problem?" Ranko asked.  
  
Xian Po looked down and, for a moment, she appeared a little  
sad. "Mu Shu has been in love with me for as long as I can remember."  
She shook her head. "But I no love him. He is one of the few male  
warriors in our village, but he never fight me."  
  
"That stupid 'fight and marry' rule again?" Yukio said.  
  
Xian Po's head came up and she looked at Yukio with a straight  
face. "If you no fight a man, how you know he will give you strong  
children?"  
  
Akara and Yukio turned beet red at this, but could offer no  
counter-argument.  
  
"Hey Xian Po," Ranko said, struck by a sudden thought. "Why are  
all your warriors mainly women? What about the men?"  
  
"Because women are stronger fighters, silly," the Amazon leader  
replied with a 'you-silly-child' voice. "Some men become warriors, but  
not a lot. Men usually only good for cooking and cleaning."  
  
Tenma set his jaw. "I ain't goin' to China."  
  
The girls giggled.  
  
  
  
  
"Everybody ready?" Tenma called. The seven were gather around  
the single horse-drawn cart carrying their supplies.  
  
"Hold," Tateyama called, while all eyes turned to him.  
  
Konisha cocked her head at her brother. "Oniisan?"  
  
"I will not be going with you," he declared. "I wish remain  
behind with the Amazon army."  
  
"Are you sure about this?" his sister asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yes. I feel this would be... better for me."  
  
"Wonder what caused the change of mind?" Akara whispered to  
Tenma.  
  
"I dunno," he whispered back. "But I'm not gonna complain."  
  
He got an elbow in the ribs for that statement.  
  
"Well, make up mind quick!" Xian Po stated, hands on hips. "We  
not have a lot of time."  
  
"Very well," Konisha said, nodding to her brother. "Take care. I  
shall see you again in three days' time."  
  
While this was going on, Tenma felt a hand grab him by the  
shoulder and pull him off to the side. He wasn't very surprised to find  
it to be Ryo, who appeared to be struggling to say something. "You  
better take care of her," he commanded at last.  
  
Tenma cocked an eyebrow at his old training partner, somewhat  
confused. "Ryo?"  
  
"Damn it, Tenma!" Ryo seethed. "This isn't easy! I know, okay!?"  
  
Saotome found himself growing somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, I'm  
not sure what you-"  
  
"Just tell her, okay!?" Ryo nearly exploded. "You know how I  
feel about her, and I know how you feel about her, okay?"  
  
Tenma scratched his head, still confused. "Why are you telling  
me this, Ryo? I don't get it. Not that I care or nothin'," he added  
hastily.  
  
Ryo's countenance dropped. "Because you were able to protect  
when I couldn't. And I can see how she looks at you. And when we were  
talking, she kept asking about you, what kind of person you were, you  
past, that sort of thing." He sighed. "Just promise me you'll take care  
of her?"  
  
"Uh, sure, Ryo," Tenma replied, a little uneasy.  
  
Ryo's head came back, this time with his lip twisted upward in  
a smirk. "I'm still going to bash your head in when this is over."  
  
Tenma grinned, glad the conversation was back in an easier-to-  
deal-with area. "You can try, pig-boy!"  
  
Ryo nodded and moved off, and Tenma sensed Akara come up beside  
him. "What was that all about? Ryo looked really upset."  
  
"Just guy stuff, you wouldn't understand."  
  
Akara elbowed him lightly. "Jerk. Fine, be that way. But why do  
you keep calling him those pig-names? Or can't you tell me that?"  
  
Tenma laughed. "Naw. Ryo's family used to be pig farmers before  
he started trainin' with Satsu-sensei and me. Ryo loved pigs a whole  
lot, and when a disease killed off all of his family's stock, he got  
real depressed. It was like he lost his spirit or something, since he  
never wanted to really fight or train after that. I used to kid him that  
he was more pig than man, and after enough taunting, I finally got him  
to attack me. He never won, of course, but he came close. But it was the  
only way I could think of to snap him out of it."  
  
Akara nodded as the two rejoined the wagon, then she, Tenma,  
Konisha, Yukio, Xian Po, and Mu Shu turned to take one last look at  
Ranko, Ryo, Tateyama, and the Amazons.  
  
"In three days time," Xian Po stated solemnly again.  
  
Ranko nodded, just as solemn. "Three days."  
  
Then, the group turned and started on their journey back to the  
Kuno Castle, where each knew the final confrontation would take place.  
  
As Tenma looked to the eastern horizon, he could see dark,  
gathering stormclouds. He knew, as well as everyone else, that in three  
days they would either have won their freedom from the Dark Shogun, or  
be crushed beneath the dark army.  
  
And as he glanced at Akara who was walking next to him, Tenma  
swore that if he had anything to say about it, they would have their  
freedom.  
  
  
  
  
Miyo's vision suddenly went black, and her mental eyes blinked  
at the sudden cutoff. Before she could say anything, however, an image  
of a beautiful middle-aged woman with light blue hair appeared, wrapped  
in a equally stunning, vibrant azure kimono.  
  
Beside her, the exact opposite was portrayed. A vastly older  
man stood, hunched on a cane, dressed in the simple brown robes of a  
monk.  
  
"Daughter of the Hidden Sight," woman's voice came to her.  
  
The tone was almost melodic, and Miyo gasped when she  
recognized the tone. "Lady Kuno!" She identified it from her visits to  
the past.  
  
"Your journey into the past is almost at an end," the woman  
continued. "Only one more vision remains, before this sad tale can be  
put to rest. The past must be remembered, so it can never be repeated."  
  
"Why me?" Miyo spoke the question foremost on her mind. "Surely  
there are others who are better equipped to deal with this?"  
  
The woman either didn't hear her, or ignored her. "Before you  
watch the last, know that this story does not have a real ending. The  
events that happened so long ago, affect the lives of those around you  
more deeply than you could imagine. They have the potential to put an  
end to this tale of sadness. For in the end moments, hope was born, that  
one day this threat could be dealt with once and for all." She hung her  
head sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but my time is fast  
approaching and I have much to do. Fare thee well, Hasagawa Miyo." With  
that, she began to fade out.  
  
"Wait!" Miyo called, reaching out, but was unable to move.  
  
"Miyo-san, you undoubtedly have many questions," The old man  
informed her, once Lady Kuno was completely gone. "I cannot blame you.  
If you seek answers to your questions, come by the Tendo Dojo tomorrow  
around 10 in the morning." He smiled warmly. "Oh, and bring that Toshi  
fellow and young Hikaru, too. I shall look foreword to finally meeting  
you face to face."  
  
The young mystic blinked as the man slowly faded out as well,  
then felt the familiar tug and freefall that always came at the end of  
these visions.  
  
Miyo inhaled sharply as she suddenly found herself back in her  
study. The purple glow from the crystal ball dimmed down as she removed  
her hands, and she collapsed back into the comfy easy chair. She was  
getting better at this. This time, she wasn't as weakened by the use of  
her ability to see into the past.  
  
She glanced at the now-dim ball and reached out her hands once  
more. Knowing that there was only one segment left, she was quite  
anxious to see how it turned out. Placing her hands on the globe, she  
braced herself for the time trip, but nothing happened. The crystal ball  
remained inactive.  
  
"What?" Miyo removed her hands slowly and stared at it. "Why  
didn't it work?"  
  
She shook her head and sighed, tempted to call the dojo, but it  
was late and the old man was specific about the date and time.  
  
Miyo nodded to herself and went to change into her  
nightclothes, her curiosity piqued. [Very well. I guess I shall see what  
happens tomorrow. Somehow, I feel as if it will prove to be a most  
enlightening day...] 


	11. Chapter 11

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 11  
  
  
  
  
"THAT INCREDIBLE IDIOT!"  
  
*CRASH!*  
  
"Please calm down, Ukyo-sama," Konatsu implored her. "It will do  
no good."  
  
"It will do me PLENTY of good!" Ukyo retorted angrily. She  
turned to where Yuri was sitting, having been strangely quiet. "Doesn't  
this upset you at all?"  
  
Yuri looked up from where she was reading the note left by her  
brother. "Of course it upsets me! I agree completely! My brother's  
being an idiot again. I just don't know what to do about it, since he  
could be anywhere by now."  
  
"Men," Ukyo spat out, then collapsed into a chair and took a  
deep breath. She looked over at Konatsu again. "What exactly did he say  
again?"  
  
Konatsu looked down as he recalled last night. "Well, it seems  
that those rope bindings weren't enough..."  
  
  
  
Konatsu glanced from the clock, which read 1:45 am, to wear  
Kenji lay, still unconscious or asleep, the kunoichi didn't know which.  
However, neither assumptions were actually correct as he noticed the  
other boy start to stir and groan.  
  
"ow, my head," the ninja boy complained weakly.  
  
Konatsu checked to make sure all his weapons were ready, just  
in case. "Kenji-sama?" he ventured.  
  
"yeah, kenzen, it's me," Kenji replied, his voice still weak. He  
tried sitting up, then realized he couldn't due to the fact that his  
wrists and ankles were bound with strong rope. "Uh, mind untying me?"  
  
Konatsu reluctantly shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot do  
that."  
  
Kenji sighed. "Look, I can understand why you guys did this,  
but I've got Kae under wraps for now." At Konatsu's confused stare, the  
other boy elaborated. "When Kae first took control of my body in that  
cave, she locked my consciousness in some sort of psychic prison, deep  
within my mind. It took me a long time to break out. But when I finally  
broke out and began to fight with her mentally, she would have pushed me  
back in there had not you activated my curse. The shock of it allowed me  
enough time to win and push her down instead, and then lock her up in  
the same mental cage I was in." He sighed again. "But it won't last. If  
I eventually broke free, so will she. That's why you've got to release  
me."  
  
The male kunoichi regarded the captive boy. It sounded like  
Kenji, but still... "Why must you be set free? Should you not be kept  
bound until we can find a way to exorcise her spirit from within you?"  
  
Kenji shook his head. "It's just a matter of time until she  
comes back, and she's more powerful than all of you. After all, she DID  
beat you twice." Konatsu looked down, embarrassed. "And if I could get  
out these bindings, so could she."  
  
Konatsu looked to see Kenji slip the last of the rope off and  
stand up. Konatsu instantly took up a ready stance. "Please, I cannot  
allow you to leave, Kenji-san."  
  
"Heh, that's the first time you've called me 'Kenji-san'," he  
noted wryly. "I'm disappointed in my sister, she should have known I  
could've got out of these simple bindings."  
  
He shook his head, then looked over at the kunoichi, still in a  
ready stance. "You must be serious. Look, you would do anything to  
protect Yuri and Ukyo, right?" He waited for Konatsu's nod, before  
continuing. "Me too. While she's inside me, I'm a danger to everyone  
around me." Kenji turned away and leaned one hand against the wall,  
while his other hand clenched into a fist then fell limply to his side.  
He tried to keep the pain he was feeling from spreading into his voice,  
but was unsuccessful. "Do you know why Kae was so insistent on killing  
my sister and Ukyo?"  
  
Konatsu shook his head, realizing after the fact that Kae did  
seem quite intent on that. "Why?"  
  
"She was hoping that the sight of them dying by my hands would  
be enough to dishearten me, so I wouldn't fight her control," he said in  
a much quieter voice. Konatsu had to strain his ears to hear it. "That's  
why I have to get away and find a way to remove her on my own. Or maybe  
she'll leave when she's accomplished her goals, I don't know. The point  
is, I can't stay here."  
  
Konatsu had been lowering the bamboo sword little by little  
during Kenji's explanation, finding himself almost agreeing with it.  
"But... I don't know. Yuri-sama and Ukyo-sama told me not to let you  
go..." He looked up as Kenji put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I can understand that," Kenji told him. "You don't want to  
betray my sister. You're the first guy she's gotten close to, that's  
pretty special. So, how about... this?"  
  
Konatsu's look of confusion lasted only until Kenji thrust his  
knee in the other boy's stomach, driving the air from his body and  
collapsing him to the floor. Kenji plucked the wooden sword from  
Konatsu's loose grip.  
  
"Sorry about this," Konatsu heard the other boy say, then there  
was an impact on the back of his head and all went black.  
  
  
  
Yuri frowned while Ukyo sat back and sighed, exasperated. "I  
don't believe this," the chef mumbled to herself, then glared at  
Konatsu. "I take it back. You're the idiot for letting him get away!"  
Konatsu looked even more ashamed, if that was possible. "No, Kenji's  
just a coward. His solution to problems is to run away." She chuckled  
bitterly. "Brave, brave, sir Kenji."  
  
"I'm sure he had good reasons to-" Konatsu began to say.  
  
"No he didn't!" Yuri very nearly hissed. "Ukyo's right. You're  
a much better fighter than my brother, and yet you allowed him to take  
advantage of you." She shook her head. "We trusted you and you let us  
down." Her eyes met his. "I trusted you."  
  
Konatsu flinched, the words coming from Yuri hurting him  
greatly. He knew he had let them down, and he silently vowed he would  
make it up to them, especially Yuri.  
  
Yuri stood up and headed for the door, then turned towards  
Ukyo. "I'll be downstairs getting the grill warmed up." At Ukyo's absent  
nod, she took one last look at the ashamed kunoichi. "You'd better be  
ready to start cleaning soon, Konatsu-san." Then she left the room.  
  
If, Konatsu realized, he could ever get her to trust him again.  
  
"Ukyo?" Yuri called from downstairs. "You didn't open the  
restaurant at this morning, did you?"  
  
The chef stood and walked to the door. "No, why?" she called  
down the stairs.  
  
There was a pause, then, "I think you better come down here."  
  
Confused, Ukyo did just that, Konatsu following discreetly.  
Yuri was standing in front of the grill when Ukyo found her, and was a  
handed piece of paper.  
  
"What's this?" Ukyo asked, accepted the paper.  
  
"I just found it on the grill," Yuri responded.  
  
Ukyo's brow furrowed in confusion as she read the short note.  
"What the hell? 'Go to the Tendo Dojo at 10am if you want answers about  
Kae'. Who left this here?"  
  
Yuri shrugged. "I don't know, I just found it on the grill. But  
the note says for all of us to go, even Selah."  
  
Ukyo folded the note and placed it in her pocket. "I guess  
we'll find out later this morning. But let's get the morning crowd  
served first."  
  
The other girl nodded, and the group started into their normal  
morning routine.  
  
  
  
  
He awoke yet again, this time groaning and holding his head.  
"Stupid violent woman. What was her problem?"  
  
"I don't know, what is my problem?" Kodachi inquired in a low,  
dangerous voice. "Or maybe, I'm not the one with the problem?"  
  
"Urp!" Taro blinked his open, sat up, and beheld the same girl  
sitting by his side. "What'd you hit me for anyway!?"  
  
"As if you didn't know!" she shot back, angrily. "No one may  
partake of these lips without my permission, which you did not have!"  
  
Taro 'hmph'ed. "Don't act so shy! Considering your 'free'  
behavior already..."  
  
"How dare you!" Kodachi seethed, scandalized, and fixed him with  
a venomous glare. "I can assure you I have done nothing improper!"  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Taro waved her off, giving up on her and  
spying his pack across the room. He stood up, wrapping the blanket  
around his midsection. "But if that's the way you're gonna be, then I'll  
just leave."  
  
Kodachi blinked as he rummaged through his pack for clothes,  
then remembered how he had arrived. "Wait a moment. You are not fully  
healed, and I would like an explanation for your arrival, as well as  
your name."  
  
Taro froze and looked down, noting the bandages and fading  
bruises and burns, and came to a startling conclusion. [She was treating  
me. She didn't... do anything with me. Oh well, it doesn't matter  
anyway, she's more trouble than she's worth.]  
  
"I'm healed enough," he told her. "As for how I got here, I was  
fighting... somebody, who was apparently a whole lot stronger than when  
I fought... them last." He shrugged, after putting on his pants under  
the blanket. "I lost, but I'm going to hunt them down and get a rematch.  
And you don't need to know my name."  
  
Kodachi was about to reply, when another voice interrupted her.  
  
"Mistress Kodachi, this came for you this morning," Sasuke's  
voice called from outside the room. A small envelope was pushed under  
the door.  
  
"Thank you, Sasuke," she replied, while picking up the missive.  
Opening the envelope, which was marked 'urgent', revealed two pieces of  
paper, one addressed to her, and one addressed to: "Pantyhose Taro? My,  
that is an unusual name."  
  
Taro froze as the girl spoke his hated name.  
  
"I wonder if..." Kodachi looked up to see the boy trying to  
finish dressing as discreetly as possible. Her eyes narrowed in  
suspicion. "You are 'Pantyhose Taro'?"  
  
"Don't call me that!" he yelled. His face flushing with shame,  
embarrassment, and anger, he shouldered his pack and opened her window.  
  
Kodachi sat back on her shins and regarded the youth. He was  
brash, annoying, strange, and forceful, but then she had her own  
problems as well. Maybe... "Very well, how about just Taro-san? And do  
you have to leave right away?"  
  
Taro halted just as he was about to leap out the window, not  
quite sure if he heard right. She wasn't laughing at him? She wasn't  
make fun of his name? She wanted him to stay?  
  
Slowly, Taro took his foot off the windowsill and turned back  
around, doubt and confusion warring for prominence on his face. Her own  
was carefully controlled, but he could find no visible trace of mockery.  
  
He dropped his pack and crossed his arms over his chest, his  
lips turning up into a sneer. "What's the matter? Don't you have any  
good jokes about my name you want to share?"  
  
Kodachi blinked. "No. Should I? I admit, it is a little  
unusual, but there must be a good reason. And after all, you are the one  
wearing pantyhose around your waist." She held out the piece of paper  
with his name on it. "And don't you want to read your note first?"  
  
Taro's insides warred against each other. One side told him he  
should just go and spare himself the humiliation that she was bound to  
deliver. The other informed him that here was a girl who didn't seem to  
mind his name, and wasn't the whole point of getting his named changed  
to be able to get to know a girl?  
  
Hesitantly, Taro took a step forward and grabbed the paper held  
out for him, still uncertain, but thinking he could at least see what  
the note said. Kodachi read hers at the same time.  
  
"WHAT!?" Taro crumpled his note and tossed it on the ground  
while turning to the girl. "Quick, where am I?"  
  
Kodachi looked up calmly from hers. "Why, we're in Nerima, of  
course."  
  
Taro nodded. "Good, then finding the Tendo Dojo should be  
easy." He turned back to the window.  
  
"Yours says to go to the Tendo Dojo as well?" Kodachi asked,  
somewhat curious.  
  
Taro nodded, but before he could speak, there came a knocking  
at the door. "Imouto-san? Are you in there? Sasuke told me he also gave  
you a note."  
  
"Yes, I am in here, oniisan," she replied, getting up to open  
the door.  
  
"Are you coming?" Tatewaki asked. The shake of his sister's head  
caused him to frown. "Why not? This promises news of our mother. Do you  
not want to find out? Are you not at least a little curious?"  
  
"Mother... abandoned us," Kodachi told him, though she felt  
uneasy saying that. "If she could not be bothered to care enough to stay  
with us, I fail to see why I should care about her." It sounded hollow  
to her, but there was a chance that this new information could put to  
shame all the negative feelings she had held for the past many years.  
  
Tatewaki frowned. He still didn't care for his mother much  
either, but the encounter with the person who claimed she was his  
mother, and who had sacrificed herself for him, had made him more  
receptive to the news. "Dachi, do you not remember a little over a week  
ago? Where were you? How were you feeling?"  
  
Kodachi's brow furrowed. "I... do not recall much from that  
time. I do remember that vile dog in my mind, but now he is gone."  
  
The elder Kuno sighed. "There is... something you should know,  
something I have kept from you." Kodachi sat back and regarded her  
brother in curiosity, as he began to relate the events of a week ago,  
when he showed up in her hospital room and found another woman there.  
  
The expression of the young Kuno girl's face went through many  
emotions as her brother told the tale, from anger, to surprise, to  
confusion, and finally ending up on disbelief. When he was finished, he  
glanced at her warily and awaited her response.  
  
"Why?" she said simply after a few moments, her voice rather  
flat and unemotional.  
  
"Because... I wasn't sure myself of what all of it meant," he  
confessed. "That is why I want to go. I was... angry at mother as well,  
but I realized I had been angry far too long. Anger never got me  
anything. Now I merely want to know why."  
  
Kodachi glanced down at the hands folded in her lap,  
understanding her brothers motives. But still... "I don't know but... I  
suppose it wouldn't hurt to come along."  
  
Tatewaki nodded, the hint of a smile gracing his lips, then  
shivered. "Imouto-san, why is your window open when the day is quite  
chilly?"  
  
Kodachi turned around and blinked, suddenly remembering Taro.  
[He must have left when my brother came in.] She got up and closed the  
window. She wondered if she would see him again. "It's... nothing  
brother. Come, let us go."  
  
  
  
  
"Come on, Akane, you can do better than that!"  
  
Akane let out a low growl while she attempted to defend herself  
against her rapidly-moving opponent. She thrust out her right fist, but  
found it turned aside easily. Her left foot swung around in a near-  
perfect roundhouse, but it was leapt over. She could feel that her  
movements were slower and more sluggish then they used to be; it was  
almost like she was moving in molasses.  
  
By the look in her red-headed opponent's eyes, Akane could tell  
Ranma could see the same. Akane was aware that Kasumi had scheduled  
another examination with Doctor Tofu to find out the cause of this  
weakness, but that was later this afternoon.  
  
Growing frustrated, Akane leapt into the air and flipped,  
lashing out with her foot, only to find her target had also gone  
airborne and was now above her. She put up her forearms in a clumsy  
block that lessened a bit of the strike that knocked her from the air.  
  
Her currently-female husband called a time-out, which Akane  
reluctantly acceded to in order to dab the sweat off her brow with a  
nearby towel. When she turned back, she could tell Ranma was mulling  
over something.  
  
"Jeez, Akane, that was pretty pathetic," Ranma said at last,  
with her legendary tact. "Even for you. You should know not ta challenge  
your opponent's strengths. You know I'm better than you in the air."  
  
"Well I'm SORRY I'm not as good as you," Akane spat out  
bitterly.  
  
Ranma shook her head and frowned. "Well maybe if you took the  
Art more seriously, you wouldn't have to rely on handicaps to win your  
fights!" she shot back. She had dragged Akane out in the dojo after  
breakfast in order to spar with her, hoping that it would cheer her up,  
considering Akane had seemed down since coming home. But she also  
appeared to be distracted, her fighting level having dropped lower than  
normal.  
  
Akane flinched, stung by the comment. She opened her mouth to  
retort, but closed it again. "Forget it. Just forget, Ranma. This was a  
mistake." She wrapped the towel around her neck and turned to go, but  
she only made it a few steps before realizing someone was blocking the  
exit to the dojo. "Out of the w-Daddy?"  
  
Soun had been watching the altercation between his daughter and  
his son-in-law with a critical eye. What he saw, hurt him greatly,  
reminding him of his own cowardice in the matter. But maybe, just maybe,  
he could correct his mistake.  
  
"Ranma, could I have word alone with my daughter?" he said, his  
gaze never leaving Akane.  
  
Ranma blinked, then shrugged. "I guess. I was gonna go have a  
bath anyway." He walk briskly past father and daughter and out of the  
dojo, glancing at Akane out of the corner of his eye, but she was still  
looking at her father.  
  
With Ranma gone, Soun closed the door and strode to the middle  
of the dojo, assuming a ready stance that Akane recognized as being from  
the beginner's group of katas, from their school.  
  
"Daddy?" The meaning was clear, though it had been a long time  
since she had sparred with her father. The last time was a few months  
after her mother's death.  
  
When he didn't respond, Akane dropped the towel and hesitantly  
stood opposite him, assuming the opposing stance.  
  
"Begin!"  
  
With those words, her father shot forward and struck, following  
the kata exactly. Akane matched him move-for-move, jumping over a sweep  
and blocking a thrust punch. The moves were ones she had learned long  
ago, though hadn't actually used in several years. Still, as they  
battled around the dojo in ever increasing speeds, the forms and  
counters came back her easily.  
  
All too soon, they were finished, ending back up in the middle  
of the dojo. Her father gave her a short bow, which Akane returned. Then  
he surprised her by kneeling and prostrating himself.  
  
"Forgive me, daughter," he intoned solemnly.  
  
"Daddy?" Akane's confusion over her father's strange behavior  
only grew. She kneeled down in front of him, resting on her shins.  
"What's this all about?"  
  
Soun sat up, but didn't meet her gaze, keeping his face down.  
"I have been lax in your training. If I had continued to train you all  
those years ago, maybe you wouldn't have had so much trouble when Ranma  
showed up."  
  
Akane shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. Ranma was  
right; if I had really wanted to improve my skills, I would have found a  
way."  
  
"No!" The vehemence in her father's voice surprised her, as his  
head came up. "It was my duty as the sensei of this dojo to train my  
heir to be worthy of the position. Instead, I feared what happened to  
your mother would happen to you, and neglected your instruction because  
of that. I relied upon Saotome and his son to wed one of you girls and  
continue the school, but it was doomed to be one-sided, because of my  
failure to educate you properly in the Tendo Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu."  
  
To say Akane was stunned, would be an understatement. She had  
never heard her father say things like this before, or even see him so  
focused and coherent. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.  
  
"Therefore, I wish to correct this," Soun continued, either not  
taking note of his daughter's dazed state, or choosing not to. "If you  
are willing, I wish to take you on a training trip for week or two.  
There is much I need to teach you. Would you be willing to forgive me  
and allow me this second chance?"  
  
Akane swallowed, then found her voice. "Sure, daddy," she said  
slowly. She could see how important this was to him. "Let me talk to  
Ranma and-"  
  
"No," Soun cut her off, fixing her with a stern look. "This has  
to be your decision alone, because he will not coming. It will be just  
you and me. You may have taken the Saotome name when you married, but  
you still are, and always will be, a Tendo. You must make this decision  
as the heir to the Tendo Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu."  
  
[He's right!] Akane suddenly realized. [I've been doing it  
again, relying on someone or something else to make me stronger, when I  
should be doing it myself. Though having Ranma train me wasn't all that  
bad, I should have completed my study under my first sensei before  
moving on to another: my father.]  
  
Akane straightened and replied in a solemn voice. "I will,  
Father. I would be honored to complete my training with you."  
  
Soun nodded, then smiled for the first time and held out his  
arms. Akane smiled back, leaned in, and wrapped her arms around him  
while he patted her on the back. "I love you, daughter. I'm sorry I  
haven't been much of a father to you or your sisters."  
  
"We all loved mother very much," Akane said, blinking back the  
tears. "We were all hurt by her death, though deep down, we knew you  
were hurt worst of all." In order to know how her father truly felt,  
Akane had only to imagine Ranma dying, and how she would feel afterward.  
It was pain she hoped no one would have to face.  
  
"I love you, too, daddy."  
  
  
  
  
"Oh hello!" Kasumi exclaimed as she opened up the door,  
revealing Ukyo, Yuri, Konatsu, and Selah. "Have you come to see Ranma  
and Akane?"  
  
"Um, not exactly," Ukyo told her, holding up a small piece of  
paper. "Do you know anything about this?"  
  
Kasumi took the note and read it to herself. "Hmmm, maybe that  
nice man who was here last night gave it to you. He said he would be  
returning today."  
  
"What man do you speak of?" Konatsu asked, curious.  
  
Kasumi's reply was interrupted by the creak of the gate  
opening, and all gathered turned to see three new people entering the  
yard.  
  
"What are you doing here!?" Ukyo demanded to know as she  
recognized the newcomers.  
  
"We were invited!" Kodachi retorted her in a superior tone,  
striding up to the chef and waving a piece of paper. Her brother and  
Sasuke followed. "And I would think you would be less hostile,  
considering I saved your life last night!"  
  
Ukyo flinched almost imperceptibly, while Yuri's gaze dropped.  
  
"Well, we helped save yours!" Selah boasted. "And if it wasn't  
for me, you'd all be in trouble!"  
  
There was a moment of tense silence, and at first it seemed  
like fighting would start any minute. Ukyo readied several mini-  
spatulas, while Tatewaki slowly reached across and grasped the hilt of  
his bokken. In response, Yuri flicked her wrist, allowing a yo-yo hidden  
in her sleeve to fall into her hand, and Kodachi pulled the handle of a  
ribbon from her kimono.  
  
Kasumi looked back and forth between all of her guests, and  
cleared her throat. "Perhaps you would care to tell us the reason for  
your visit, Kuno-san," she inquired, addressing Tatewaki.  
  
"Gladly, Tendo-san," the elder Kuno replied with a respectable  
bow, releasing his weapon. "I-"  
  
"Are we too early?" came a new female voice from the gate  
entrance.  
  
The assembled group turned to stare as three more people  
entered, a girl and two guys. One of the guys leaned back against the  
concrete wall after observing the battle-ready state of those already  
gathered, and smirked. "I'd say we're just in time. Though, it looks  
like you may have spoiled the free entertainment, Miyo-san."  
  
The young fortuneteller smiled slightly, then elbowed Toshi in  
the ribs, before advancing a couple of steps and mimicking Kuno's  
earlier bow. "Forgive us for intruding Tendo-san, but I have reason to  
believe something of great importance will happen here soon."  
  
Kasumi smiled warmly. "By all means, you are welcome here."  
  
"Kasumi? What's going on out here?" Akane emerged from behind  
her sister, still clad in her gi, with a white towel around her neck.  
She blinked at the group standing around in her front yard, perplexed.  
"What is everyone doing here?"  
  
"What, didn't you send this invitation?" Ukyo asked, holding up  
the piece of paper.  
  
"Indeed, we received one as well," the elder Kuno agreed.  
  
"If I may," Miyo offered, to which Kasumi nodded. "I believe our  
questions will be answered shortly, if we only have a little patience.  
For now, I suggest we wait."  
  
"You know something, don't you?" Ukyo asked. It was more of a  
statement then a question.  
  
Miyo merely smiled slightly and inclined her head toward the  
chef. "As do you." She gestured to everybody gathered in the yard. "As I  
suspect all of you know some things which others do not. I, myself, have  
only small fragments to go by, which I do not fully understand. Like  
you, I am hoping our benefactor will be able to enlighten us.  
  
Akane frowned, remembering the old man from last night. "Well,  
I suppose we can't do anything until he gets here. Why don't you all  
find someplace to wait." She turned to her sister. "I'm going to take a  
short bath to clean up, Kasumi."  
  
In the shadow of the wall, across the gate from Toshi, Hikaru  
Gosunkugi watched everyone break up and wander about the yard. His heart  
had caught in his chest at the sight of his Goddess, his old feelings  
for Akane coming flooding back as he gazed upon her perfection. He  
sighed in despair, realizing that she was out of his reach now, as she  
had been married to Ranma almost a week ago  
  
After she left, he despairingly realized she hadn't noticed  
him, as usual, In fact, no one had noticed him, but he actually didn't  
care much this time. He wondered why Miyo had dragged him down here. He  
wasn't really of use to anyone, and he didn't feel like leaving his  
room, ever since he failed Ariko.  
  
Miyo and Toshi had tried to convince him there was nothing he  
could have done, but Hikaru still felt responsible. He had admitted to  
himself he had grown used to the bubbly young sorceress who had  
befriended him. He marveled at that; a GIRL had befriended HIM! Most  
girls made him feel nervous, so much so that he ended up making a fool  
of himself. But for some odd reason he was able to talk to her.  
  
Once again, he wondered why that was, but still had no answer.  
  
  
  
  
Akane noticed Ranma was already in the furo when she slipped  
inside the bathroom, sitting with his back to her. She couldn't help  
smile at the memory of when she had encountered him in similar  
surroundings that first day. This time, she didn't leave and run away  
screaming, but instead grabbed a stool and began washing down.  
  
Ranma could sense Akane approach, even before she entered the  
bathroom. At first he wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind,  
so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he listened to the splash of water  
as Akane doused herself, then the scrubbing as she lathered up. Despite  
their newfound physical intimacy, or maybe because of it, he felt  
himself growing warm as his mind filled in the pictures for the sounds  
his wife was making from behind him. When she finally doused herself  
again and slid into the furo to his right, he was unable to lift his  
head to look at her.  
  
Akane, likewise, was unable to look at Ranma for some strange  
reason. Logically, she knew it shouldn't be a problem as they had seen  
and explored each other thoroughly before, but in this case logic had  
nothing to with it. Instead, she just settled down in the steaming water  
up to her neck and tried to let the heat soothe her troubles and  
confusion away.  
  
Ranma finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry."  
  
This got her attention, and she turned to see him gazing not at  
her, but at the steamy water. Her brow furrowed. "Ranma? What do you  
mean?"  
  
"Well, I musta done something to upset you," he offered in a  
quieter voice. She had been happy before, and during, the wedding, but  
after the honeymoon her spirits seemed to have dropped. Ranma wondered  
if maybe there was something he wasn't doing right, as a husband to his  
wife.  
  
Akane let loose a tired sigh. "You haven't done anything,  
Ranma. What makes you say that?"  
  
He took several moments before responding. Akane studied him  
during this time, noting the way his jaw tensed and relaxed as he  
attempted several times to say something. His hair was slicked back, yet  
still tied into his trademark pigtail. His skin had a moist sheen  
covering, as well as a minor reddish tinge to it, and she watched in  
fascination as a single drop of water worked it's way down past his ear  
and crawled along the outer edge of his cheekbone. By the time Ranma was  
ready to speak, it had traversed the distance down his neck and chest,  
to join it's brethren in the furo.  
  
So caught in her the water droplet's journey, she nearly missed  
what Ranma had said. "What?"  
  
"I said, you don't seem very happy," he repeated somewhat  
sourly, still not looking at her. "I must have done something to upset  
you."  
  
Akane blinked. "Ranma, you haven't done anything to upset me."  
The corners of her lips turned upward into a small smile. "Other than  
being your normal Baka-self. If this is about what I think it is, than  
it's not because of you, it's because of me."  
  
He finally turned to look at her. "Akane?" Meeting her big,  
expression-filled brown eyes, Ranma suddenly felt vulnerable. But it was  
a good kind of vulnerable, he decided.  
  
Her smile grew a little bigger, and then she was pushing  
herself under his right arm and laying her head against his chest. Ranma  
had no choice but to drape that arm around her shoulders. She idly  
stroked her own right hand across his chest.  
  
"But let's not talk about this now," she told him. "Let's just  
enjoy this moment for now." She was going to tell him about her decision  
to accompany her father on a training trip, but decided it could wait.  
They had gained so much ground lately, that she didn't want to ruin the  
moment by telling him she was going away for awhile.  
  
Ranma seemed to sense this, and let it go. He, too, was content  
to just hold her, reveling in all the new sensations that this kind of  
closeness brought. It might have been some kind of drug, he told  
himself, but even if it was, he didn't want it to end. Her happiness was  
his own, and he would do anything to make her happy.  
  
The newlywed couple basked in the heat of the water, and of  
their own warm bodies. They may have even fallen asleep, had not Kasumi  
knocked on the door.  
  
"What is it, Kasumi?" Akane asked tiredly, somewhat upset at the  
intrusion. She knew they rarely had time to themselves, and most of  
these intrusions had resulted in little tiffs and arguments between her  
and Ranma. She was confident that if they had been left alone from the  
start, they might have gotten together a long time ago.  
  
"I though you should know that the charming elderly gentlemen  
from last night has returned," the eldest Tendo daughter told them. "He  
told everyone to gather in the dojo, so we are waiting for you." She  
lingered in the changing room for Akane's reply, then departed.  
  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other in surprise, nearly having  
forgotten the old man from last night, and not really expecting him to  
return. Reluctantly, they disengaged and exited the bath, getting  
dressed in the clothes Kasumi had left for them in the changing room.  
  
Somehow, they knew the next few hours would be something that  
might very well change their lives. But as they grasped hands and the  
hallway, they knew that whatever was waiting for them, they would face  
together.  
  
Nothing else mattered. 


	12. Chapter 12

Send C&C to: oddball22@hotmail.com  
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000  
  
  
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges  
Bonds and Connections  
Chapter 12  
  
  
  
  
The scene that greeted Akane and Ranma when they finally  
entered the dojo, was one that spoke of much confusion and tension. True  
to Kasumi's word, the old monk-like figure in the faded, dark brown robe  
was sitting on a cushion on the far side of the dojo. His staff rested  
against the wall nearby, as he took a sip from the teacup.  
  
The group arrayed around him, contained much of the family,  
friends, and rivals Ranma and Akane knew. Ukyo, along with Yuri, were  
two of the most vocal as they waved their 'invitation' and demanded to  
know about Kae. Only the presence of Kasumi next to the elderly  
gentleman, was what most likely keeping violence from breaking out.  
  
The young couple noticed that their fathers were there as well,  
one standing on either side of the man, yet keeping their distance. Soun  
was wearing a continual frown, while Genma appeared more unsure of the  
stranger. Nodoka was sitting on a cushion next to her husband, looking  
merely curious. Nabiki was also there, leaning against the wall and  
studying the situation.  
  
The Kuno siblings and Sasuke were near the back of the room,  
surprisingly quiet, and merely observing. Occasionally one would whisper  
something to the other, earning a nod or a short answer whispered back.  
Akane glanced at Kodachi quite warily, remembering her last encounter  
with the gymnast. Ranma remembered as well, and directed his wife to the  
side farthest away from Kodachi.  
  
The last group of people surprised Akane the most, though she  
belatedly realized she had seen them out in the yard a short while ago.  
  
"Miyo-san, do you know what this is all about?" Akane inquired,  
moving to the young fortuneteller's side. Akane recognized, and nodded  
to, the two young men with the other girl. Hikaru she knew, but the  
other young man she only vaguely remembered meeting a long time, though  
she recalled his name to be Toshi.  
  
"Some," Miyo replied with a cryptic smile. "But I believe we  
shall all find out shortly. If we are wise enough to have a little  
patience." She gestured to Ukyo and Yuri, who were still demanding  
answers from their mysterious guest.  
  
Akane had no reply for that, deciding to heed the advice.  
Behind her, she sensed her husband had completed his own survey of the  
room, then walk to her side. Their hands sought out each other once  
more, then they sat back to wait while their fingers intertwined.  
  
They didn't have to wait long, as the old man finally spotted  
them across the way. "Excellent! Everyone is here."  
  
Ukyo and Yuri quieted down at this, the first words they had  
heard him speak since he arrived and announced himself. Reluctantly,  
they quieted down and turned, following his gaze to see the newlywed  
couple standing next to each other just inside the door. Yuri smiled  
slightly, while Ukyo quickly turned her head back, trying to hide her  
expression.  
  
"So, are you going to finally tell us what this is all about?"  
Ukyo asked in an exasperated voice.  
  
"I shall you what I know, yes," the old monk replied with a  
smile and nodding slightly.  
  
"How about starting with who you really are?" Soun demanded in a  
low, almost threatening, voice. "What's your real name?"  
  
Akane and Nabiki started, not really used to the barely  
contained rage in their father. They had seen it last night as well, but  
it was still quite a change from the normal weepy man they had known  
most of their life. Oh sure, their father got angry at times, but he  
usually just exploded right then and there, and then the anger was gone  
a short time later. In short, very similar to Akane's temper.  
  
This time, it looked like Soun was focusing that anger, and if  
he exploded now, he might just take the man's head off.  
  
"My name?" the elderly monk said, raising an eyebrow. He  
appeared to think that over, then sighed. "The name I was born with, has  
been lost to me for most of my life. I have taken many different names  
throughout my lifetime, like the two you and Genma know. If you wish a  
label to ascribe to me, then you may call me the Caretaker." He paused,  
then chuckled darkly. "Sadly, even that moniker is no longer  
appropriate."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked, prying for more info about  
their mysterious guest. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't dig up  
much of anything on this man using the two names he had given last  
night: Ochiai and Hidenori Taga.  
  
The man known as the Caretaker sighed tiredly, then settled  
back on his cushion, suddenly appearing far older than he did before.  
"When I was but a lad no older than ten, my parents apprenticed to older  
gentleman. For the next ten years after that, I learned what his life  
entailed, since I was to take over for him when he passed away. Like me,  
he had no name, but was also known as the Caretaker."  
  
"This is all very interesting," Kodachi said in bored tone. "But  
I fail to see what this has to do with us."  
  
The Caretaker looked up and speared Kodachi with a grim look  
that made her gasp internally. "Because the woman I took care of was  
your mother."  
  
"What?" Tatewaki blurted, clearly shocked by the revelation.  
"Speak man, what dost thou mean by this!?"  
  
The elderly gentleman waved him off. "Well, actually she was  
more than just your mother. Over 900 hundred years ago, there was a  
woman who was married to a powerful daiymo."  
  
"Lady Kuno," Miyo whispered reverently. Despite her low tone of  
voice, nearly everyone heard her. "She was real..."  
  
"Indeed," the Caretaker confirmed, while nodding his head once.  
"I do not have the clear vision of the past that you do, as my knowledge  
comes from books and from what my Lady showed me. In order to seal away  
a threat from long ago, the original Lady Kuno underwent a ritual to use  
her body as a Living Key to another realm. As long as she lived, the  
link between the worlds would be sealed. From then on, one Kuno girl in  
each generation would merge her life-force with that of Lady Kuno; in  
effect, keeping her alive." His eyes swiveled to the two Kuno siblings.  
"The last was your mother, and that is why she left you two."  
  
Kodachi could only stand there, trembling, but her brother  
managed to throw off his astonishment enough to speak. "But, she  
perished the day that abomination attacked yon mental hospital."  
  
"Yes, and that is where the problem now stands," the Caretaker  
intoned gravely.  
  
"What problem is that?" Akane asked, speaking up for the first  
time. "And what does this have to do with us?"  
  
"Remember what I said, Akane-san," the old man replied,  
smoothing out his faded robe. "As long as she lived, the link between  
the realms was sealed. But now that she is gone, the portal can be re-  
opened, and the Dark Shogun will return."  
  
Soun sighed noisily. "As my daughter said, what does this have  
to do with us? I sympathize when the Kuno family over the loss of their  
mother, but I would still like to know what that has to do with sending  
Saotome-kun and I to Happosai."  
  
"Do not worry, as all shall be made clear," the old man assured  
Soun. He pointed his gnarled staff at a girl standing off to the side.  
"Perhaps Miyo-san can enlighten us?"  
  
"But I haven't seen the full story, and there is so much still  
left out," the young fortuneteller protested.  
  
"It is enough," the Caretaker replied. "My lady and I began  
sending you the dreams in order that someone from the present would know  
what had happened in the past. I learned what I could from books, but I  
am old and my memory is not what it used to be. Also, I am not long for  
this world." As if to emphasize this point, he covered his mouth and  
coughed once. "Please, tell them what you have learned."  
  
Miyo looked to Toshi, but he merely shrugged. Turning back to  
the gathered group revealed everyone's eyes on her. She took a deep  
breath to quench her nervousness, then closed her eyes and spoke.  
  
"A long time ago, a war raged across Japan," she intoned. "An  
army led by an unknown individual known only as the Dark Shogun,  
advanced from the south, conquering all in their path. Apparently, not  
many could stand against this army, until survivors from previous  
attacks gathered under the banner of Tendo Senshin."  
  
Nabiki's eyes widened at this, while Akane inhaled sharply.  
Soun merely looked a little surprised.  
  
"I gather than, this is an ancestor of ours?" Nabiki deduced.  
  
"That is correct," the Caretaker replied. "Please, continue  
Miyo-san."  
  
She nodded and closed her eyes once more, visualizing the  
dreams. "Senshin's army was joined by a mysterious young man by the name  
of Saotome Tenma, who was a warrior of extraordinary skill."  
  
It was Ranma's turn to look surprised, as Akane turned to see  
her husband's eyes widen. She, too, was confused. They both had  
ancestors that had met long ago?  
  
Miyo continued without noticing. "Together, he departed with  
the youngest daughter of Senshin, Akara, who was also a warrior. They  
sought help from the ninja clan Garou, but returned too late, finding  
the army campsite had been attacked by Dark Shogun's troops. From there,  
the two warriors headed to the Kuno castle, being accompanied by a  
kunoichi from the Garou clan named Kae."  
  
Ukyo and Yuri instantly recognized that name, and shot to their  
feet.  
  
"Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense," Yuri interrupted.  
"If Kae was supposedly fighting against this Dark Shogun army, or  
whatever it is. How and why did she take control of my brother now? She  
should be dead, right?" Her voice grew soft with that last phrase, as if  
fearing the answer.  
  
"Many things are not impossible," the Caretaker told her  
solemnly. "Much has been lost to time, but great feats of magic and  
sorcery were not so uncommon many thousands of years ago. That is why  
this situation is dire now, as humans have slowly lost their innate  
potential and turned to technology instead. No modern weapon, no matter  
how powerful, can stand against the power that was wielded over a  
millenia ago." Before anyone else could speak, he motioned for Miyo to  
continue.  
  
"They met up with Tenma's old training partner named Ryo Hibiki,  
and Akara used Ryo's horse to travel ahead to the Kuno castle," Miyo  
told them. "As Tenma and Ryo traveled there on foot, Kae apparently  
betrayed them and they were captured. They were freed with the help of a  
young girl named Ranko, but the two men had lost the majority of their  
strength. The trio eventually made it to the Kuno estate to stop Kuno  
Tateyama from forcing Akara to marry him."  
  
"What the hell is this all about!?" Ranma finally yelled, giving  
in to his increasing discomfort. The old man merely looked at him  
curiously. "What are we, some kind of reincarnation of people who lived  
a long time ago or somethin'? You're supposed to be givin' us answers,  
but this don't make any sense!"  
  
"I have to agree with Ranchan," Ukyo said, crossing her arms  
across her chest "This is just too eerie. You can't possibly be serious  
about this! It's just too ridiculous!"  
  
"And what does this nonsense have to do with our mother?"  
Kodachi shouted. "Surely you can't expect us to believe our mother left  
to join with some ancestor of ours?"  
  
The Caretaker pounded his wooden walking stick into the floor,  
getting everyone's attention. "Please, everyone! I ask that you have  
some patience. I will do my best to answer all your questions, but let  
Miyo finish her story first." When the room had quieted back down to a  
low murmur, the old man nodded once more toward the young fortuneteller.  
  
Miyo took a deep breath and continued. "Like I was saying,  
after the wedding was aborted, it was discovered that the remnants of  
Senshin's army and Akara's family were there as well. But the Dark  
Shogun's army was approaching the Kuno castle and those inside knew that  
it would only be a matter of time before the castle fell to the Dark  
Shogun's advance. Lady Kuno called Tenma and Ryo into a meeting, where  
they also met her daughter, Konisha."  
  
Miyo paused then, seeing if anyone would interrupt her. Kodachi  
looked like she was ready to erupt again, but was barely holding herself  
in check. The fortuneteller spared a glance at the Caretaker, then  
continued her story.  
  
"There, the two boys were instructed to travel to the western  
shore of Japan and attempt to find a young warrior Lady Kuno and her  
daughter had encountered a month previous, and also to possibly find a  
cure to their strength affliction. They set out, but were accompanied by  
both Tateyama and Konisha, as well as Akara and Ranko. When the small  
group finally reached the Sea of Japan, they encountered a little over a  
hundred Amazon warriors from China, led by a young woman named Xian Po."  
  
Miyo stopped again and accepted the glass of water from Kasumi,  
who had suddenly appeared by the other girl's side. Miyo replied with  
her thanks, then nearly downed the glass in several large gulps. He  
throat had become a bit dry with all her talking.  
  
Ranma had released Akane's hand by this point, crossing his  
arms over his chest and waited impatiently for Miyo to finish her story.  
His feelings were growing nearly identical to Soun, who was still  
waiting for his own explanation.  
  
Miyo handed back the glass and continued, closing her eyes once  
more. "Akara and Ranko were attacked by a small group of the Shogun's  
army, led by Kage, another Garou ninja who apparently knew Kae. During  
the fight Tenma discovered that the lack of his strength was due to a  
moxibustion point on his back, and used a heated pebble to remove it.  
Thus cured, he managed to defeat the ninja, but let him go rather than  
kill his opponent. Shortly thereafter, Tenma encountered a young woman  
from his old village, who had been tracking him. Her name was Kuonji  
Yukio, and she accompanied Tenma and the others as they headed back to  
the back to the Kuno castle, except for Ryo, Ranko, and Tateyama, who  
remained behind to the guide the rest of the Amazons."  
  
The young mystic stopped and opened her eyes then, and it was  
apparent to all that she was finished.  
  
"That's it?" Ranma asked in disbelief. If anything, he was more  
confused then ever. "There's got to be more!"  
  
Genma nodded, frowning. "The boy is right. What happened after  
that?"  
  
"I am afraid that is all I know, Saotome-san," Miyo replied,  
then turned to the Caretaker. "Can you tell me the rest?"  
  
The old man shook his head wearily. "I'm afraid not even I know  
exactly what happened next. I believe my Lady did, at one time, but she  
has forgotten much. She was the embodiment of several generations of  
Kuno women, but the human brain was never designed to hold more than one  
lifetime of memories. As a result, with every new fusion, she forgot  
more and more. After the second fusion, when she realized what was  
happening to her, Lady Kuno transferred all of her memories of that time  
into a magic receptacle, so that one day someone would know exactly what  
happened back then." He indicated Miyo.  
  
"Well, that was useful," Kodachi spat out with an air of her old  
disdain, trying to hide her tumultuous feelings about the truth she had  
just learned about her mother. "Just what do you know, then? Or can you  
only offer vague comments and explanations?"  
  
"Sister..." Tatewaki said, placing a hand on her arm in an  
attempt to calm her. "Perhaps there is more to learn?" She glared up at  
him, but saw only concern, and so she relented.  
  
The Caretaker appeared not to be bothered by the Kuno girl's  
comments. "I assume Tenma and the others confronted the Dark Shogun and  
his generals, but for some reason were unable to defeat them. Instead,  
Lady Kuno enacted her last resort spell to trap the Shogun into another  
realm. Apparently this also had the effect of expelling the generals  
from Japan, warding the country and keeping them from returning. That  
was approximately 977 years ago." He closed his eyes and sighed. "But  
with my Lady's passing, that which has been 'locked' has now been  
'unlocked'. The portal to the other realm can be re-opened and the Dark  
Shogun can return. This also means the generals, now known as 'Rogues',  
can know freely enter Japan."  
  
"Return?" Akane questioned, looking quite confused. "But they  
should be dead now, right? I mean, this happened hundreds of years ago,  
right?"  
  
"Longevity is not a problem for those who know the secrets  
behind life and death," the old man explained. "I am not totally sure  
how they did it, but the generals of the Shogun somehow preserved  
themselves, waiting for the moment to revive and recover their leader.  
Now, they seek to restart the old war and take over Japan. Their number  
is few, but my Lady saw glimpses that their ranks are slowly expanding.  
Soon, they will come here."  
  
"So, we're supposed to stop them, is that it?" Ranma asked,  
finally understanding a little bit of it. If there was one thing he knew  
well, it was fighting. "Why didn't you say so in the first place. I may  
not understand much of anything else, but if it means a fight, I can  
handle it." He grinned and cracked his knuckles for effect.  
  
"Though I never thought I would say this," Tatewaki intoned. "I  
shall stand with thee if any of these accursed infidels dare to set foot  
in the Land of the Rising Sun!"  
  
Nabiki shook her head while rubbing her temples. "Something  
about this still doesn't make any sense. Why couldn't our ancestors  
defeat this Shogun before? And how do you expect us to succeed where  
they failed?" She turned a glare on Ranma and Kuno. "It might be a good  
idea to know this little bit of info before you recklessly run off and  
get yourselves killed."  
  
"To answer your questions," the Caretaker replied, as everybody  
waited for his response with much expectation. "I don't know. I only  
know that Tenma and Akara perished during that fight and everyone else  
barely got away with their lives. It is rumored that Tenma and Akara  
willingly gave up their lives, in order that Lady Kuno's spell would be  
successful, but I'm not sure."  
  
Akane stiffened at this, worry evident on her face. After all  
this time, she knew Ranma pretty well. If there was a threat, he would  
fight it; doubly so if the threat even remotely affected her. But what  
hope could they have against people that had lived for hundreds of  
years? Ranma had just barely bested Saffron, and these Rogues had  
apparently been more than a match for their ancestors, including  
Ranma's.  
  
She blinked, suddenly realizing that there was an inconsistency  
here. "Hey, if the Saotome ancestor died, how come the line still  
exists?"  
  
"Because there was more than one Saotome ancestor," the old man  
explained. "Tenma had a sister, and it is from her than the line  
continued from."  
  
"Let me guess," Nabiki offered dryly. "It was Ranko."  
  
The Caretaker nodded. "You are correct. The two siblings were  
separated at birth to protect them, and only at the end did they figure  
out they were related. Ranko was weakened greatly by the last battle,  
but survived and gave birth to a son nearly a year later. She used to be  
a strong warrior, but when she unable to fight anymore, she began to  
record the styles and moves that Tenma had used on various scrolls and  
books. Some of these ended up being taken back by the Amazons as they  
headed home. The majority, however, ended up sealed away, hidden from  
the world when Ranko apparently realized the power that one could gain  
by using them. Nearly a hundred years ago they were found, by a young  
martial artist who was traveling the land seeking to improve his  
skills."  
  
Soun's eyes widened at that. "Y-you can't be serious!"  
  
"Why not?" Genma answered his friend, pushing his glasses up on  
his nose. "It does make sense, of why he is as good as he is."  
  
Ranma eyes narrowed in confusion. "What? Who are you talking  
about?"  
  
Akane elbowed him. "Don't you get it, Baka? They're talking  
about Happosai."  
  
"Happosai!?" Ranma blurted, clearly surprised. "The old freak  
found a buncha scrolls and things with secret techniques on them?"  
  
The Caretaker nodded. "My Lady had been searching for them for  
a long time, and was surprised when Happosai found them. Unfortunately,  
he hid them again before we could act to safeguard them. The best we  
could do, was to send a Saotome to him for training so he could relearn  
the techniques that were known so long ago. We also sent a Tendo, so the  
two families could meet once more. Unfortunately, Happosai taught  
different parts of the Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu to each of you." The old man  
indicated Genma and Soun. "We don't know what possessed him to do this,  
but suspect it was something he read in the scrolls."  
  
Soun chuckled darkly. "Or didn't teach us everything, because  
he wanted to be sure we would never defeat him. I wonder what he did  
with all that knowledge."  
  
Genma nodded, and when he spoke, his voice was devoid of  
emotion. "We'll never know now, since he's gone for good."  
  
  
  
  
There was one other person listening in on all of this.  
  
Pantyhose Taro reclined on the roof of the dojo, listening to  
the conversation taking place within. His note had said there would be  
information about Happosai to be found here, but instead of confronting  
everyone, he hung out of sight and listened. If the freak did show up,  
he could get the drop on the old lech and then finally get his name  
changed.  
  
He found all the previous bits of information only mildly  
interesting, as it didn't really concern him; until they talked about  
Happosai. That was when his ears perked up, only to catch Genma's line.  
  
[Gone for good!?] Taro thought angrily. [If that's the case, I  
can't ever get my name changed!] He wanted to punch the roof, or swoop  
down into the dojo and beat everybody within an inch of their lives. In  
fact, he had just settled on that second option, when he heard that  
strange old man speak again.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say he's gone for good."  
  
That got everybody's attention, but most of all Taro's, who  
froze and strained his ears, hoping the old man would elaborate.  
  
"But he said he didn't have long to live when he left," Ranma  
protested.  
  
"Yes, he did, didn't he?" the Caretaker replied, somewhat  
amused. "It's true that he's not well, but he is still very much alive.  
The last my Lady and I saw of him, he had left for China. My Lady's  
vision is hazy when trying to view events happening outside of Japan,  
but she did mention that he is still alive."  
  
Taro stood, then silently dropped down to the verandah  
surrounding the dojo. [So, Happosai is back in China, is he? I suppose  
it makes a strange kind of sense. He started this by giving me my name  
in China, and now I'll end this in China by forcing him to change it.]  
He grinned. [Then maybe I'll beat the snot out of him for old times'  
sake.]  
  
"Why don't you come in, young man?" came the elderly gentleman's  
voice again. "You don't have to leave just yet."  
  
Taro froze, aware that while he was next to the dojo door, no  
one should have heard or seen him.  
  
Ranma was the first to appear in the dojo entrance. "What?" He  
looked eyes with the other youth out there and blinked in surprise.  
"Pantyhose Taro?"  
  
*Whap!* "Don't call me that!"  
  
Ranma rubbed his head and scowled, as most of the group inside  
either went to the windows to look out, or joined Ranma outside. Akane  
stopped just behind, and a little to the side of Ranma, while Ukyo took  
up a position just to the other side of him.  
  
"Hey, Ranchan, wasn't this the guy you were tellin' me once,  
that was too stupid to get his own name changed?" Ukyo asked curiously,  
seeing the pantyhose sash around the guy's waist and hearing his name.  
  
Ranma nodded, smiling. "Yep, that's the jerk."  
  
Taro seethed, then grinned suddenly. "Hey femboy, do all your  
friends crossdress? Or is your friend a gay-boy?" He indicated Ukyo who  
was dressed in slacks and a shirt (and breast bindings, as she was used  
to them). While not looking entirely like a guy, she didn't appear  
incredibly feminine, either.  
  
"Why you, jackass!" Ukyo scowled and drew her battle spatula,  
preparing to inflict grievous bodily harm. "I'm 100% woman!" She was  
stopped by Ranma's arm blocking her advance. "Ranchan, what-?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "He maybe an arrogant jerk, but he's also  
a pretty tough fighter."  
  
"In other words, sorta like you?" Akane said with a smile.  
  
Taro laughed as Ranma scowled at Akane. "Well, femboy, as much  
as I'd like to stay and pound you, my business is with the old freak."  
He turned to the elderly gentlemen standing in the dojo doorway. "Hey  
old man, is Happosai really in China?"  
  
"Yes he is," the Caretaker replied. "But I do not know his exact  
location."  
  
Taro waved him off. "No problem. I'll just look for a rash of  
panty thefts."  
  
The Chinese youth turned to go, but then caught sight of  
Kodachi, the girl who had treated him. She seemed to be watching him  
with a look reserved for the dissecting of specimens. Needless to say,  
it made him feel rather uncomfortable. He also noticed that she seemed  
to be a part of femboy's little group, and somehow he felt a little hurt  
by that, but shook it off as he headed for the pond.  
  
Ranma crossed his arms over his chest. "Good riddance."  
  
Kodachi caught the tone of voice Ranma used, and frowned. She  
could look at her former love in a whole new light now, when before she  
couldn't see anything but what she wanted to see. Before, she would not  
have attributed anything like dislike or animosity to her dearest Ranma-  
sama, but now she could see him for the human he was. She also noticed  
that no one else seem to care much about what Taro did.  
  
Making up her mind, she separated from the group to walk  
towards the lone Chinese boy.  
  
"Sister, what are you doing?" Tatewaki asked.  
  
The gymnast ignored her brother, and spoke to Taro. "Would you  
care for some company on your trip?"  
  
Akane stepped forward. "Kodachi? That's not such a good idea.  
Taro is dangerous, and-"  
  
"I have never cared what you thought before, Tendo, and I do not  
intend to start now!" Kodachi snapped at Akane. As the other girl  
recoiled in shock, Kodachi briefly regretted her words. Part of her was  
scared at how easily it seemed to be able to slip back into her old  
role. She didn't want people to fear her, but she still held plenty of  
negative feelings for her old rival and those weren't easily overcome.  
  
Ranma's eyes became hard. "Akane's right, Kodachi."  
  
"You should listen to them," Taro told her, while keeping his  
back to her. "Heh, first time I agree with femboy, imagine that."  
  
"And why is that?" Kodachi asked him sharply. "You don't want my  
company?"  
  
Taro shook his head. "Naw, I live it rough on the road. A rich,  
pampered girl like you wouldn't last five minutes out in the real  
world."  
  
Kodachi's eyes narrowed at the stinging barb. "Oh, so you  
assume to know me? Perhaps I should listen to everyone else and forget  
about helping a mere gaijin peasant? Or perhaps I should have just  
thrown you out with the rest of the refuse when you crashed into my  
house?"  
  
"Fine!" Taro barked. "You want a real reason? How about this!"  
  
"Taro, don't!" Ranma yelled, sensing what the other boy was  
going to do.  
  
*Splash!*  
  
Selah eep'ed and dashed into the dojo, and Hikaru fainted. Miyo  
and Toshi merely looked amused, while Nodoka backpedaled in fright, only  
to have Genma put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
Kodachi took a single step back as the hulking monstrosity rose  
from the Tendo's koi pond. Her eyes grew wide, and she stared for  
several long seconds as everyone else awaited her reaction.  
  
It wasn't quite what they expected.  
  
"Oh, my, my, my, my, my," the Kuno girl stated in a very Kasumi-  
like fashion. Then, "Ohohohohoho! How marvelous!"  
  
"Moo?" Taro blinked in surprise, figuring the sight of his  
cursed form would be enough to drive the girl away. Why wasn't she,  
though? And why exactly was he trying to scare her away, anyway? He  
could not recall the reason off hand.  
  
Ranma turned to Tatewaki and Nabiki, who happened to be  
standing next to each other now. "You sure she ain't nuts anymore?"  
  
"Perhaps she is not fully recovered," Kuno said, eyeing the  
great beast and slowly drawing his katana from it's sheath. Given past  
experiences with another grotesque creature, he came to a logical  
conclusion. "Truly, that is a demon, however." Before anyone could stop  
him, the kendoist leapt to the attack.  
  
"You idiot!" Nabiki yelled, knowing it was fruitless. "Don't!"  
  
Taro eyed the swordsman coming at him, and raised a finger.  
*Squirt!* Then he turned to the side to allow Kuno's visually impaired  
leap to carry him into the pond. *Splash!*  
  
Kuno leapt up, clawing at the black stuff covering his face. "I  
be blinded! Do not worry, sister, I shall yet smite the demon!"  
  
Kodachi rolled her eyes as her brother tried to wash the  
octopus ink out of his own, then she clubbed him on the head with a  
tonfa, dropping him like rock. "I appreciate the sentiment, Tatchi, but  
I believe I am in no danger." She was at a loss to explain why she felt  
that, however. She glanced up at Taro again. "My, you are quite an  
interesting beast."  
  
Taro was suddenly hit with that dissecting look again, and it  
still made him nervous. Especially the way Kodachi was eyeing his  
tentacles and licking her lips. "Moo!" He tried to look threatening.  
  
Kodachi gave him a lidded glare. "Right, well if you're  
through, shall we go?"  
  
"Kodachi, I really don't think you should go with him," Ranma  
stated evenly.  
  
"Jealous are you, Ranma-sama?" Kodachi told him icily. "That is  
hardly suitable for a married man. Unless you plan to add me as your  
mistress? I suppose I should expect that, considering all the women you  
let chase you around, never caring about their feelings." While Ranma  
spluttered at this, Kodachi turned to Akane. "Congratulations, Tendo,  
you won. You can keep your little man-that-turns-into-a-woman. I'd  
rather have someone with a much more powerful form!"  
  
Before anyone else could protest, she lanced out with a ribbon  
that wrapped itself around Taro's left horn, then gave a tug and swung  
up to land on his shoulder. "Shall we be off?" she whispered into his  
ear. "I assume those wings are fully functional."  
  
Taro shrugged and moo'ed, as if to say, "Your funeral," then  
took to the sky.  
  
"When my brother awakes, tell him I'm off to see the world!"  
Kodachi called as she and Taro disappeared into the western horizon.  
  
"That was too weird," Ukyo said, summing up everyone's thoughts.  
  
Of course, that's when Kuno awoke. "Where be the demon!?" he  
demanded, wiping enough of the ink off to see and brandishing his sword.  
  
Nabiki shook her head. "Kuno-baby, you are still hopeless. If  
you're referring to Taro, he's gone, and your sister went with him quite  
willingly. If you're still planning on fighting him though, I can give  
you all the information on him." [And maybe once I do, you'll reconsider  
going. Not that I care, though.]  
  
Tatewaki nodded, then turned to Ranma and dropped to one knee.  
"I must be off now, but know that if these fiends from the past dare  
threaten our noble country, know also that I shall stand with thee in  
repelling them. For it is the least the once-noble House of Kuno can do  
to make up for past unjust actions." He stood. "Sasuke!"  
  
The little ninja appeared at his master's side. "Yes?"  
  
"It is time to go, farewell!" The not-so dynamic duo departed,  
post-haste.  
  
The group stood there and blinked a few times, as a stray  
breeze blew a rolling tumbleweed by.  
  
"Ya know," Ranma remarked at last. "I almost prefer them the way  
they were." [They used to be annoying and simple. Now they're annoying  
and confusing.]  
  
Akane nodded, absently. "I think I agree."  
  
  
  
  
Hikaru felt someone poke and prod at his body, until he awoke  
and sat up. That's when he noticed the old Caretaker standing above him.  
"Um, w-what do you w-want, sir?"  
  
The elderly man chuckled, then his face turned serious. "It's  
not what I want, but what you want. If you wish to revive Ariko, seek  
out the Mage Clans, for only they have the magical potential to 're-  
ignite' her magical fuse'."  
  
Hikaru's eyes widened, for he clearly remembered the Mage  
Clans, and the fear associated with them. They had stalked him and  
kidnapped him, then locked him up. And who could forget their leader,  
with his powerful magic abilities. Hikaru still didn't know how he had  
the strength to stand against such a person, then realized it was the  
same strength that let him stand up against that dragon-creature.  
  
In both times, he was fighting to protect someone else. If it  
was just himself, he would have been too scared, and would have  
submitted to the inevitable. But he could not just stand by and let that  
sorcerer hurt Akane, nor let the dragon harm Ariko. Akane was truly lost  
to him now, but perhaps...  
  
"How do I find them?" he asked, not having any idea on where to  
begin searching.  
  
He let his staff point to Ukyo, Yuri, and Selah, who were  
standing in the dojo entryway and conversing in low tones. "It might be  
a good idea to seek out traveling companions." He waited for Hikaru's  
hesitant nod, then moved off, stopping to hand something to Miyo. After  
that, he headed for the dojo entrance, only to be impeded by a large  
spatula blocking his path. "Yes?"  
  
Ukyo's green eyes were hard. "What about this Kae? What is she  
really up to? You never really told us."  
  
The elderly monk shrugged. "I can only speculate as to her  
motives. She reappeared briefly during that battle at the Kuno castle,  
only to disappear shortly thereafter. Since she is hunting the Rogues,  
or the 'dark ones' as she calls them, I assume they are in some way  
responsible for her banishment deep within the Earth." He shook his head  
sadly. "I am afraid she will very likely fail."  
  
"What!?" Yuri jumped forward and grabbed the front of the  
Caretaker's robe. "She's got control of my brother! Are you saying she  
is going to get him killed!?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," the old man replied sadly. "She is highly  
skilled, but she is only one person. She cannot possibly accomplish  
alone, what a large group failed to do."  
  
Yuri's eyes shot daggers at the old man, even as she lifted him  
up face-to-face. "So how do we find my brother? And once we find him,  
how do we get her out of him? Tell me!"  
  
"Please, young lady, calm yourself!" the Caretaker said as he  
tried to pacify the angry girl. She reluctantly released him and he  
brushed his robe off. "Thank you. I'm not entirely sure, mind you, but  
since Kae's condition was brought about by magic, perhaps magic can undo  
it." He shook his head. "I'm afraid that is all I know."  
  
Yuri collapsed to the floor feeling hopeless and drained, and  
watched the old man walk off while Ukyo came up and sat down beside her  
friend. "We'll find him, Yu-chan, I know we will." The chef laid a  
comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder.  
  
The emotionally-turbulent ninja girl smiled wanly. "I know we  
will; we have to. He may be an idiot, but he's the last of my family. I  
won't lose him again."  
  
  
  
  
"Well, I must be off," the strange old man known as the  
Caretaker announced. "Thank you for the tea and hospitality, Kasumi-  
san." He offered a short bow.  
  
"You're quite welcome," the eldest Tendo daughter returned.  
"Please visit anytime."  
  
The old monk shook his head. "I'm afraid that won't be  
possible. My life was linked with that of my Lady's. With her gone, I am  
not long for this world. I am afraid this is the last we shall see of  
each other." He turned and headed for the outer gate.  
  
"I still don't really understand all of this!" Akane yelled at  
him, suddenly feeling frustrated. She was trying to assimilate all this  
new information, and failing. "Why us? Why is all this happening? Why!?"  
  
Ranma frowned, as he was thinking along the same lines. While  
he would deal with anything that came his way, he didn't especially like  
the way this was dropped on them.  
  
The Caretaker stopped in the outer gate entryway, as he took a  
few minutes to formulate the best response. "Because there is no one  
else. Because your family's were involved before. Because you may just  
have the key to ending this threat." He turned around to face the  
gathered group. "I will offer this last piece of advice: The coming  
battle cannot be won with fists alone. It is true you are all very  
skilled, possessing advanced combat capabilities. But your enemies are  
likewise just as powerful. It is not your power that makes you special,  
however. It is your compassion, your hope, and your love."  
  
He paused, then pointed his staff at the gathered. "Keep these  
ideals in your hearts, and you may yet triumph. Oh, and there are others  
that will be needed as well. you will need to explain these events to  
them."  
  
Before anyone could formulate a response to that, a large cloud  
of dust and smoke blew by the old monk, obscuring him from view.  
  
When it was gone, so was he.  
  
  
  
  
The group stood there for a few minutes, until a new figure  
came through the gate. At first they thought it was the Caretaker, until  
they heard him speak.  
  
"Hey, we got this strange note telling us to come here," a  
confused and unsure Ryoga explained. Akari was at his side and  
Katsunishki was behind them. Then the lost boy noticed everybody looking  
at him funny. "What? Are a little late or something?"  
  
  
  
  
It wasn't until much later when we finally figured out what the  
old man was talking about, and I shudder to think what would have  
happened to Ranma and I, as well as all of our friends, if we hadn't  
figured it out. The coming month would prove to be a trying time for all  
of us and a challenge that was greater than any of us had ever dreamed  
of.  
  
True to his word, we never saw the Caretaker again. Yet I can't  
help but look back and remember what he told us and think how we might  
have ended up, had he not gathered us together and revealed the past.  
Part of me wonders why he didn't tell us earlier, but I am thankful now  
that he did.  
  
I also used to wonder about my marriage to Ranma. I thought I  
loved him and he loved me, but because we married young, we had that  
many more obstacles to overcome. For awhile there, I had feared that  
maybe we made a mistake. I don't like being forced or controlled, and  
neither does Ranma; one of the many reasons our relationship floundered  
during that first year. But what we learned during that mighty battle,  
shook both our confidences.  
  
Yes, ever since Ranma showed up at our door, life had been  
getting steadily more interesting. What we faced in the past was nothing  
compared to what lay ahead.  
  
We would soon find out if we had what it would take, to face  
the greatest challenge of our lives...  
  
------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
Whew! This last chapter completes Volume 7 of Ranma 1/2: New Challenges:  
Bonds and Connections. One more volume to go! Coming up next is the  
final volume: The Phoenix and the Dragon.  
  
More old enemies and allies return, as the showdown between the forces  
of the past draws ever closer, with the future at stake. Yet more  
secrets will be revealed, more surprising twists and turns, and a new  
member of the Ranma cast gets cursed! What will he/she turn into? What  
is the secret of Jusenkyo? What purpose does it serve?  
  
Also, I know the ending to this chapter is kinda ambiguous and more of a  
cliffhanger than the others. I apologize for this. I would have liked a  
more definitive ending, but this is how it worked out. I was kinda  
thinking of a confrontation where everybody fights Taro's cursed form  
when he attacks them, because the Caretaker wouldn't tell him where  
Happosai is, but this is the way the story wrote itself. I still may go  
for that alternate ending if everyone wants to see it, however.  
  
I would like thank everybody who gave useful comments and criticisms,  
especially Raven Flight, since he helped me plug a few plot holes and  
reminded me to add a few more scenes that I was going to, but forgot the  
first time around. I'll get the hang of this writing thing yet...  
  
And thanks to everyone who's continued reading this far, and a really  
big THANK YOU!!!! to Takahashi-megami-sama, without whose genius mind,  
we would not have the fun and delightful members of the Ranma cast in  
the first place!  
  
Brad aka Kaiphantom  
www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000 


End file.
